Information recording medium, information reproducing apparatus, information reproducing method and information recording method

ABSTRACT

An information recording medium includes a user information storage area which stores user information, a test write area which is extendable and for test write of information, a spare area which is extendable and capable of alternatively storing user information, and a recording position management information area including recordable range information expressing recordable ranges in the aforesaid test write area and the aforesaid spare area. The information recording medium, an information reproducing apparatus, an information reproducing method and an information recording method which make it easy to record and reproduce information properly are provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE INVENTION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-092864, filed on Mar. 26,2004; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an information recording medium, aninformation reproducing apparatus, an information reproducing method andan information recording method.

2. Description of the Related Art

An optical disk is used as an information recording medium for recordingand reproducing information.

An art of increasing a total number of test write area (test area) inproportion to an increase of optical disk capacity is disclosed (SeePatent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No.2001-273637). Namely, a test write area is disposed in an innerperipheral position, and its extension scaling factor is discretely set.Then, an SYNC pattern of an ATIP wobble signal is detected to determinethe kind of the disc, and the total number of test areas (test writearea) is determined.

An art of an optical disk capable of setting a spare area extendable toan outer peripheral side is disclosed (See Patent document 2: JapanesePatent No. 3090316). The position information of the extendable sparearea is described in position information of a second spare area in afile entry area of the second spare area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the art disclosed in Patent document 1, the size of the test writearea (test area) cannot be set optionally, and there is the possibilityof causing substantial capacity reduction.

In the art disclosed in Patent document 2, the position information ofthe extendable spare area cannot be rewritten in a “recordableinformation storage medium”, and the data structure concerning theposition information of the spare area cannot be taken.

In view of the above description, the present invention has its objectto provide an information recording medium, an information reproducingapparatus, an information reproducing method and an informationrecording method which make it easy to record and reproduce informationproperly.

An information recording medium according to the present inventionincludes a user information storage area which stores user information,a test write area which is extendable and for test write of information,a spare area which is extendable and capable of alternatively storinguser information, and a recording position management information areaincluding recordable range information expressing recordable ranges inthe aforesaid test write area and the aforesaid spare area.

An information reproducing apparatus according to the present inventionincludes an information reproducing device which reproduces informationfrom an information recording medium including a user informationstorage area which stores user information, a test write area which isextendable and for test write of information, a spare area which isextendable and capable of alternatively storing user information, and arecording position management information area including recordablerange information expressing recordable ranges in the aforesaid testwrite area and the aforesaid spare area.

An information reproducing method according to the present inventionincludes reproducing information from an information recording mediumincluding a user information storage area which stores user information,a test write area which is extendable and for test write of information,a spare area which is extendable and capable of alternatively storinguser information, and a recording position management information areaincluding recordable range information expressing recordable ranges inthe aforesaid test write area and the aforesaid spare area.

An information recording method according to the present inventionincludes recording information in an information recording mediumincluding a user information storage area which stores user information,a test write area which is extendable and for test write of information,a spare area which is extendable and capable of alternatively storinguser information, and a recording position management information areaincluding recordable range information expressing recordable ranges inthe aforesaid test write area and the aforesaid spare area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a point list (1) of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a point list (2) of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a point list (3) of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a point list (4) of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a structure in the embodiment of aninformation recording and reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a detailed structure of a peripheralpart of a synchronous code position detecting unit in this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a signal processingcircuit using a slice level detection method.

FIG. 8 is a detailed explanatory diagram showing a slicer circuit.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a signal processingcircuit using a PRML detection method.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a structure in a viterbi decoder.

FIG. 11 is a state transition diagram of a PR (1, 2, 2, 2, 1) class.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a method of creating a makerindicating a next border by overwrite processing.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a structure and dimension ofan information storage medium.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of process steps in an informationreproducing apparatus or an information recording apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a physical sector number setting method ofa recordable information storage medium or a single-layerreproduction-only information storage medium.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are diagrams showing physical sector number settingmethods of reproduction-only information storage media havingdouble-layer structures.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a physical sector number setting method ina rewritable information storage medium.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a general parameter setting example in areproduction-only information storage medium.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a general parameter setting example in arecordable information storage medium.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a general parameter setting example in arewritable information storage medium.

FIG. 21 is a data structure comparison explanatory diagram in a systemlead-in area and a data lead-in area.

FIG. 22 is a data structure explanatory diagram in a recording positionmanagement zone.

FIG. 23 is a data structure comparison explanatory diagram in a dataarea and a data lead-out area.

FIG. 24 is a waveform (write strategy) explanatory diagram of a recordpulse.

FIG. 25 is a definition explanatory diagram of a record pulse shape.

FIG. 26 is a structure explanatory diagram concerning a border area inthe recordable information storage medium.

FIG. 27 is a data structure explanatory view in a control data zone andan R physical information zone.

FIG. 28 is an information content comparison explanatory diagrams inphysical format information and R physical format information.

FIG. 29 is an information content comparison explanatory view indisposition place information of a data area DTA.

FIG. 30 is a data structure explanatory diagram (1) in a recordingposition management data.

FIG. 31 is a data structure explanatory diagram (2) (continued) in therecording position management data.

FIG. 32 is a data structure explanatory diagram (3) (continued) in therecording position management data.

FIG. 33 is an explanatory view of process steps of setting a test writearea and test write.

FIGS. 34A to 34C are conversion steps explanatory diagrams until forminga physical sector structure.

FIG. 35 is a structure explanatory diagram in a data frame.

FIG. 36A is an explanatory diagram of initial values which are given toa shift register when a frame after scramble is created.

FIG. 36B is an explanatory diagram of a circuit construction of afeedback shift register for creating scramble bytes.

FIG. 37 is an explanatory diagram of an ECC block structure.

FIG. 38 is a frame arrangement explanatory diagram after scramble.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory diagram of an interleave method of PO.

FIG. 40 is a structure explanatory diagram in a physical sector.

FIG. 41 is an explanatory diagram of a synchronous code pattern content.

FIG. 42 is a diagram showing a construction of a modulation block.

FIG. 43 is a diagram showing a connection rule for code words.

FIG. 44 is a diagram showing connection of a code word and a sync code.

FIG. 45 is a diagram showing a separation rule for reproducing codewords.

FIG. 46 is a diagram showing a conversion table in a modulation method.

FIG. 47 is a diagram showing the conversion table in the modulationmethod.

FIG. 48 is a diagram showing the conversion table in the modulationmethod.

FIG. 49 is a diagram showing the conversion table in the modulationmethod.

FIG. 50 is a diagram showing the conversion table in the modulationmethod.

FIG. 51 is a diagram showing the conversion table in the modulationmethod.

FIG. 52 is a diagram showing a demodulation table.

FIG. 53 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 54 is a diagram showing the demodulation table;

FIG. 55 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 56 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 57 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 58 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 59 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 60 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 61 is a diagram showing the demodulation table.

FIG. 62 is an explanatory diagram of a reference code pattern.

FIG. 63 is a data unit explanatory diagram of a recorded data on aninformation storage medium of this embodiment.

FIG. 64 is a comparison explanatory diagram of a data recording type ofeach kind of information storage medium in this embodiment.

FIG. 65A is an explanatory diagram of comparison of a data structure inthe information storage medium of this embodiment with a prior artexample.

FIG. 65B is an explanatory diagram of comparison of the data structurein the information storage medium of this embodiment with the prior artexample.

FIG. 65C is an explanatory diagram of comparison of the data structurein the information storage medium of this embodiment with the prior artexample.

FIG. 66 is an explanatory diagram of 180 degrees phase modulation inwobble modulation and an NRZ method.

FIG. 67 is an explanatory view of relationship between the wobble shapesand address bits in an address bit area.

FIG. 68 is a comparison table of a wobble position and a recording placein the recordable information storage medium and the rewritableinformation storage medium of this embodiment.

FIG. 69 is a comparison explanatory view of the wobble position and therecording place in the recordable information storage medium and therewritable information storage medium of this embodiment.

FIGS. 70A and 70B are explanatory diagrams of address defining methodsin the recordable information storage medium and the rewritableinformation storage medium of this embodiment.

FIG. 71 is a wobble address format explanatory diagram on the recordableinformation storage medium of this embodiment.

FIG. 72 is an explanatory diagram of a gray code example.

FIG. 73 is an explanatory diagram of a gray code conversion algorithm.

FIG. 74 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which anindefinite bit area is formed in a groove area.

FIG. 75 is an explanatory diagram of a disposition place of a modulationarea on the recordable information storage medium of this embodiment.

FIG. 76 is a disposition explanatory view in a wobble data unitconcerning a primary disposition place and a secondary disposition placeof the modulation area.

FIG. 77 is a comparison explanatory diagram of disposition relationshipin a wobble sync pattern and a wobble data unit.

FIG. 78 is a disposition place explanatory view of a modulation area ina physical segment on the recordable information recording medium.

FIG. 79 is a comparison explanatory diagram of a data structure inwobble address information in the rewritable information storage mediumand the recordable information storage medium according to thisembodiment.

FIG. 80 is a relation explanatory diagram of a combination method of awobble sync pattern and type identifying information of a physicalsegment and a disposition pattern of a modulation area.

FIG. 81 is a layout explanatory diagram in a recording cluster.

FIG. 82 is a data recording method explanatory view of a rewritable datarecorded on the rewritable information storage medium.

FIG. 83 is a data random shift explanatory view of the rewritable datarecorded on the rewritable information storage medium.

FIG. 84 is an explanatory view of a recording method of a recordabledata recorded on the recordable information storage medium.

FIG. 85 is an explanatory view concerting a reflectivity of anunrecorded part in an “H→L” recording film and an “L→H” recording film.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An information storage medium such as an optical disk has an Updateddata area allocation area inside an RMD field 0, and in that area,information which is the information of an Updated outer limit of DataRecordable area and in a recordable range is written.

An extendable test write area (test area) and an extendable alternatearea (spare area) are settable in an outer peripheral part of theinformation storage medium, and an area which is the result of takingthe above described extendable test write area (test area) and theextendable alternate area (spare area) from an entire recording areacorresponds to the recordable range of the information of the Updatedouter limit of Data Recordable area and in the recordable range.

The points concerning an embodiment of the present invention aresummarized and described in FIGS. 1 to 4. The effects provided when therespective points are combined are shown in the rows in FIGS. 1 to 4,and the mark of ⋆ (star) is given to the portion with the highestcontribution ratio to each effect, and marks of ⊚ (double circle), ◯(single circle) and Δ (triangle) are given in the order of highercontribution ratio. Outlines of the effects provided when the respectivepoints are combined are as follows.

1. Determine the Optimum Recording Condition

After stably detecting BCA, it is determined whether recommendedrecording condition information can be used with a value of rimintensity stably read in slice level detection. When the determinationis NG (No Good), it is necessary to carefully determine the recordingcondition in a drive test zone, and therefore, extension of the testzone and its position control become necessary.

2. Reproduction Circuit Setting Method

After stably detecting BCA, identification information of H→L or L→Hwhich is stably read in the slice level detection is read at high speed,and optimal circuit adjustment corresponding to PR (1,2,2,2,1) isperformed by utilizing reference codes.

3. Ensure High Reliability at the Time of Reproduction of User RecordedInformation

After stably detecting BCA, system lead-in information is reproduced byslice level detection, and thereafter, user recorded information isreproduced by using PRML. Ensure reliability of recorded information byalternative processing of a defective position. Stabilization of a servoat the time of reproduction is also important.

4. Reduction of Access Time to a Recording (Rewrite or Record) Place

Confirm the recording (rewrite or write) place by defect managementinformation

5. Recording of a stable and highly accurate record mark Stable trackingand recording place confirmation are important. Record at optimum speedbased on recording speed information.

6. Handle both of “L→H recording film” and “H→L recording film”, achievecommonality of a circuit and realize simplification of control.

Hereinafter, detailed embodiments will be described.

In the following explanation of the embodiments, the explanationcorresponding to each of the points shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 ispartially included. The corresponding parenthesized point code is givento the part of the explanation corresponding to each of the points shownin FIG. 1 to FIG. 4.

An explanatory diagram of a structure in an embodiment of theinformation recording and reproducing apparatus is shown in FIG. 5. InFIG. 5, an upper side from a control unit 143 mainly shows aninformation record control system for an information storage medium. Anembodiment of the information reproducing apparatus corresponds to astructure in FIG. 5 except for the aforementioned information recordcontrol system. In FIG. 5, the thick solid arrows indicate the flow ofmain information which means a reproduction signal or a recordingsignal, the thin solid arrows indicate the flow of information, thedashed line arrows indicate reference clock lines, and the thin brokenline arrows indicate a command instruction direction.

An optical head not shown is disposed in an information recording andreproducing unit 141 shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, PRML (PartialResponse Maximum Likelihood) is used for reproducing information, anddensity of an information storage medium is enhanced (FIG. 1 [A]).

As a result of various experiments, as a PR class for use, adoption ofPR (1, 2, 2, 2, 1) can enhance line density and enhance reliability ofthe reproduction signal (demodulation reliability at the time ofoccurrence of a servo correction error such as blooming and a trackdeviation, for example). Therefore, in this embodiment, PR (1, 2, 2,2, 1) is adopted ((A1) in FIG. 1).

In this embodiment, a channel bit string after modulation is recorded inthe information storage medium in accordance with (d, k; m, n)modulation regulation (meaning RLL (d, k) of m/n modulation). As aconcrete modulation method, ETM (Eight to Twelve Modulation) forconverting 8-bit data into 12 channel bits (m=8, n=12) is adopted, andas run-length limited RLL limitation for limiting continuation of “0” inthe channel bit string after modulation, the condition of RLL (1, 10) inwhich the minimum value of continuation of “0” is set as d=1 and themaximum value is set as k=10 is imposed.

Aiming at densification of the information storage medium, thisembodiment shortens the channel bit interval near to the limit. As aresult, when the pattern of “101010101010101010101010” which is therepetition of the pattern of d=1, for example, is recorded in theinformation storage medium, and the data is reproduced in theinformation recording and reproducing unit 141, the density is close tothe cutoff frequency of the MTF characteristic of the reproducingoptical system. Therefore, the signal amplitude of the reproductionsignal is in the state in which it is almost buried in noise.Accordingly, as the method for reproducing a record mark or pit withdensity enhanced near to the limit (cutoff frequency) of the MTFcharacteristic, the art of PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) isused.

Namely, a signal reproduced from the information recording andreproducing unit 141 is subjected to reproduction waveform correction bya PR equalizing circuit 130. The signal after passing the PR equalizingcircuit 130 is sampled and converted into a digital amount in ADconverter 169 in accordance with timing of a reference clock 198 whichis transmitted from a reference clock generating circuit 160, andviterbi decoding processing is performed for it in a viterbi decoder156. The data after the viterbi decoding processing can be processed intotally the same manner as the binarized data at the conventional slicelevel.

When the art of PRML is adopted, an error rate of the data after viterbidecoding increases if sampling timing is shifted in the AD converter169. Accordingly, in order to enhance accuracy of the sampling timing,the information reproducing apparatus or the information recording andreproducing apparatus of this embodiment especially has a samplingtiming extracting circuit (combination of a Schmidt Trigger binarycircuit 155 and a PLL circuit 174) separately.

The Schmidt Trigger circuit 155 has the characteristic in that aspecific range (actually the forward voltage value of diode) is given tothe slice reference level for binarization, and binarization is achievedonly when the specific range is exceeded. Accordingly, for example, whenthe pattern of “101010101010101010101010” is inputted as describedabove, the signal amplitude is so small that switching of binarizationdoes not occur, but when, for example, “1001001001001001001001” or thelike, which is a sparser pattern than the above, is inputted, theamplitude of the reproduction signal becomes large, and therefore,polarity switching of the binary signal occurs in accordance with thetiming of “1” in the Schmidt trigger binarization circuit 155.

A NRZI (Non Return to Zero Invert) method is adopted in this embodiment,and the position of “1” of the above-described pattern and the recordmark or the edge portion (border portion) of a pit agree to each other.

In the PLL circuit 174, deviations of the frequency and phase betweenthe binarized signal which is the output of this Schmidt Triggerbinarization circuit 155 and the signal of the reference clock 198transmitted from the reference clock generating circuit 160 aredetected, and the frequency and phase of the output clock of the PLLcircuit 174 are changed. In the reference clock generating circuit 160,(frequency and phase of) the reference clock 198 is fed back by usingthe output signal of the PLL circuit 174 and the decoding characteristicinformation of the viterbi decoder 156 (information of the convergencelength (distance to convergence) in the pass metric memory in theviterbi decoder 156 which is not shown concretely) so that the errorrate after viterbi decoding becomes low. The reference clock 198generated in this reference clock generating circuit 160 is utilized asthe reference timing at the time of processing the reproduction signal.

A synchronous code position extracting unit 145 detects the existenceposition of a synchronous code (sync code) mixed in the output datastring of the viterbi decoder 156, and has the function of extractingthe start position of the above described output data. With this startposition as a reference, demodulation processing is performed in ademodulation circuit 152 for the temporarily stored data in a shiftregister circuit 170. In this embodiment, the data is converted into theoriginal bit string with reference to a conversion table recorded in ademodulating conversion table recording unit 154 for every 12 channelbits. Thereafter, error correction processing is performed by an ECCdecoding circuit 162, and descrambling is performed by a descramblingcircuit 159. In the recording type (rewriting or recording) informationstorage medium, address information is previously recorded by wobblemodulation. This address information is reproduced by wobble signaldetection unit 135 (namely, the content of the wobble signal isdistinguished), and necessary information for access to a desired placeis supplied to the control unit 143.

The information record control system existing at the upper side fromthe control unit 143 will be explained. Data ID information is generatedfrom a Data ID generating unit 165 in accordance with the recordingposition on the information storage medium, and when copy controlinformation is generated in a CPR_MAI data generating unit 167, eachkind of information of Data ID, IED, CPR_MAI and EDC is added to theinformation to be recorded by a Data ID, IED, CPR_MAI and EDC additionunit 168. Thereafter, the information is descrambled in the descramblingcircuit 157, after which, the ECC block is constructed in an ECCencoding circuit 161. After it is converted into a channel bit string inthe modulation circuit 151, the synchronous code is added in asynchronous code generating/adding unit 146, and data is recorded in theinformation storage medium in the information recording/reproducing unit141. At the time of modulation, a DSV (Digital Sum Value) value aftermodulation is consecutively calculated in a DSV value calculating unit148, and is fed back to code conversion at the time of modulation.

A detailed structure of a peripheral part including the synchronous codeposition detecting unit 145 shown in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. 6. Thesynchronous code is constituted of a synchronous position detecting codepart having a fixed pattern and a variable code part. The position ofthe synchronous position detecting code part having the above describedfixed pattern is detected by a synchronous position detecting codedetecting unit 182 from a channel bit string outputted from the viterbidecorder 156, and variable code transfer units 183 and 184 extract thedata of variable codes existing before and after it, and determineswhich sync frame in a sector described below the synchronous codedetected by an identifying unit 185, which is for a sync frame positionidentifying code content, is located. The user information recorded onthe information storage medium is sequentially transferred to a shiftregister circuit 170, a demodulation processing unit 188 in thedemodulation circuit 152, and the ECC decoding circuit 162 in thisorder.

In the embodiment of the present invention, densification (lineardensity is especially enhanced) of the information storage medium isachieved by using PRML for reproduction in a data area, a data lead-inarea and a data lead-out area as shown in [A] in FIG. 1, andcompatibility with a current DVD is secured and stability ofreproduction is secured by using a slice level detection method forreproduction in a system lead-in area and a system lead-out area asshown in [B] in FIG. 1.

An example of a signal reproducing circuit using the slice leveldetection method which is used at the time of reproduction in the systemlead-in area and the system lead-out area is shown in FIG. 7. A quadrantoptical detector in FIG. 7 is fixed in an optical head existing in theinformation recording and reproducing unit 141 in FIG. 5. A signal whichtakes the sum total of a detection signal capable of being obtained fromeach optical detection cell of the quadrant optical detector is called alead channel 1 signal here. A preamp to a slicer in FIG. 7 means thedetailed structure in the slice level detection circuit 132 in FIG. 5. Areproduction signal obtained from the information storage medium passesthrough a high pass filter which cuts off lower frequency componentsthan the reproduction signal frequency band, and thereafter, issubjected to waveform equalizing processing by a pre-equalizer.According to the experiment, it is found out that as for thispre-equalizer, by using a 7-tap equalizer, the reproduction signal canbe detected with the smallest circuit scale and high accuracy, andtherefore, the 7-tap equalizer is also used in this embodiment. A VFOcircuit and PLL part in FIG. 7 correspond to a PLL circuit in FIG. 5,and a demodulation circuit and an ECC decoding circuit in FIG. 7correspond to the demodulation circuit 152 and the ECC decoding circuit162 in FIG. 5.

A detailed structure in the slicer circuit in FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. 8.A binarization signal after slicing is generated by using a comparator.In this embodiment, a low pass filter output signal is set at a slicelevel at the time of binarization for the inversion signal of binarydata after binarization by using the duty feedback method. The cutofffrequency of the low pass filter is set at 5 kHz in this embodiment. Ifthis cutoff frequency is high, the slice level varies early andtherefore, the influence of noise is easily given, and if the cutofffrequency is low on the other hand, response of the slice level is late,and therefore, the influence of dust and flaw on the information storagemedium is easily given. The cutoff frequency is set at 5 kHz inconsideration of the relationship between the aforementioned RLL (1, 10)and the reference frequency of the channel bit.

A signal processing circuit using the PRML detection method which isused for signal reproduction in the data area, the data lead-in area andthe data lead-out area is shown in FIG. 9. A quadrant optical detectorin FIG. 9 is fixed in the optical head existing in the informationrecording and reproducing unit 141 in FIG. 5. The signal taking thetotal sum of the detection signal obtained from each of opticaldetection cells of the quadrant optical detector is called a leadchannel 1 signal here.

A detailed structure in the PR equalizing circuit 130 in FIG. 5 isconstituted by each circuit from a preamp circuit to a tap controller,equalizer, and an offset canceller in FIG. 9. A PLL circuit in FIG. 9 isa part of the inside of the PR equalizing circuit 130 in FIG. 5, andmeans a different thing from the Schmidt Trigger binarization circuit155 in FIG. 5.

The primary cutoff frequency of a bypass filter circuit in FIG. 9 is setat 1 kHz. The pre-equalizer circuit uses a 7-tap equalizer as in FIG. 7(use of 7-tap makes it possible to detect the reproduction signal withthe smallest circuit scale and high accuracy).

Sample clock frequency of an A/D converter circuit is 72 MHz, anddigital is set at 8-bit output. If the influence of the level variation(DC offset) of the entire reproduction signal is exerted in the PRMLdetecting method, an error easily occurs at the time of viterbidemodulation. The structure is designed to correct offset by the offsetcanceller by using a signal obtained from the output of the equalizer inorder to remove the influence. In the example shown in FIG. 9, adaptiveequalization processing is performed in the PR equalizing circuit 130.Therefore, a tap controller for automatically correcting each tapcoefficient in the equalizer by utilizing the output signal of theviterbi decoder 156 is used.

The structure in the viterbi decoder 156 shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 9 isshown in FIG. 10. The branch metrics for all the branches which can beestimated for the input signal are calculated in the branch metriccalculating part, and the value is sent to the ACS. The ACS is theabbreviated name of AddCompareSelect, which calculates the pass metricwhich can be obtained by adding the branch metric corresponding to eachpass which can be estimated in the ACS, and transfers the calculatedresult to a pass metric memory. At this time, calculation processing isperformed with reference to the information in the pass metric memory inthe ACS. Each pass (transition) situation which can be estimated and thevalue of pass metric calculated in the ACS corresponding to each passare temporarily stored in the pass memory. The pass metric correspondingto each pass is compared in the output switching part, and the pass ofwhich pass metric value is minimum is selected.

The state transition in the PR (1, 2, 2, 2, 1) class in the embodimentof the present invention is shown in FIG. 11. As for the transition ofthe state which can be taken in the PR (1, 2, 2, 2, 1) class, only thetransition shown in FIG. 11 is possible, and the pass which is capableof existing (being estimated) at the time of decoding is determinedbased on the transition diagram of FIG. 11 in the viterbi decoder 156.

FIG. 13 shows a structure and a dimension of the information storagemedium in the embodiment of the present invention. As examples, thefollowing three kinds of information storage medium can be cited.

-   -   “Reproduction-only information storage medium” only for        reproduction and incapable of recording    -   “Recordable information storage medium” capable of recording        only once    -   “Rewritable information storage medium” capable of rewriting any        number of times.

As shown in FIG. 13, most of the structures and dimensions are madecommon in the above described three kinds of information storage media.In any of three kinds of information storage media, a burst cutting areaBCA, a system lead-in area SYLDI, a connection area CNA, a data lead-inarea DTLDI, and a data area DTA are disposed from an inner peripheralside.

Data lead-out areas DTLDO are disposed in outer peripheral parts in allmedia except for the OPT type reproduction-only medium. A middle areaMDA is disposed at the peripheral part in the OPT type reproduction-onlymedium as will described later.

Information is recorded in a shape of emboss (prepit) in the systemlead-in area SYLDI, and in any of recordable and rewritable types, thisarea is for reproduction-only (non-recordable). In the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium, information is also recorded in the shape ofemboss (prepit) in the data lead-in area DTLDI. On the other hand, inthe recordable and rewritable information storage media, the datalead-in area DTLDI becomes an area in which new information by recordmark formation is recordable (rewritable in the rewritable type).

As will be described later, in the recordable and rewritable informationstorage media, in the data lead-out area DTLDO, the area in which thenew information is recordable (rewritable in the rewritable type), and areproduction-only area in which information is recorded in the shape ofemboss (prepit) exist mixedly.

As described above, in the data area DTA, the data lead-in area DTLDI,the data lead-out area DTLDO and the middle area MDA shown in FIG. 13,densification (line density is especially enhanced) of the informationstorage medium is achieved by using PRML for reproduction of the signalrecorded therein ([A] in FIG. 1), and in the system lead-in area SYLDIand the system lead-out area SYLDO, compatibility with the current DVDis secured and stabilization of reproduction is secured by using theslice level detecting method for reproduction of the signal recordedtherein ([B] in FIG. 1).

Unlike the current DVD standard, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, theburst cutting area BCA and the system lead-in area SYLDI do not overlapeach other, but are positionally separated ((B2) in FIG. 1). Byphysically separating both of them, interference between the informationrecorded in the system lead-in area SYLDI at the time of informationreproduction and the information recorded in the burst cutting area BCAis prevented, and therefore, information reproduction with highprecision can be ensured.

As another embodiment with respect to the embodiment shown in (B2) inthe above described FIG. 1, there is a method of previously formingmicroscopic recessed and projecting shapes in the disposition place ofthe burst cutting area BCA when the “L→H” type recording film is used,as shown in (B3) in FIG. 1. In the embodiment of the present invention,the explanation that not only the conventional H→L type recording filmbut also the L→H type recording film is incorporated in the standard andthe selection range of the recording film is enlarged to make itpossible to record at high speed and supply a medium at low price ((G2)in FIG. 1) will be made in the part where the explanation concerning thepolarity (discrimination of whether H→L or L→H) information of therecord mark existing at the 192nd byte in FIG. 28 is performed later. Aswill be described later, in the embodiment of the present invention, thecase where the “L→H” type recording film is used is also considered.

The data (bar code data) to be recorded in the burst cutting area BCA isrecorded by locally exposing the recording film to laser. As shown inFIG. 21, the system lead-in area SYLDI is formed in an embossed pit area211, and therefore, a reproduction signal from the system lead-in areaSYLDI tends to decrease in light reflection amount as compared with alight reflection level from a mirror surface 210. If the burst cuttingarea BCA is brought into the mirror surface state similarly to themirror surface 210, and the L→H type recording film is used, thereproduction signal from the data recorded in the burst cutting area BCAtends to increase more in light reflection amount than the lightreflection level from the mirror surface 210 (of the unrecorded state).As a result, a large difference occurs between the positions of themaximum level and minimum level (amplitude level) of the reproductionsignal from the data formed in the burst cutting area BCA, and thepositions of the maximum level and the minimum level (amplitude level)of the reproducing signal from the system lead-in area SYLDI.

As will be described later in the explanation of FIG. 21 (and ((B4) inFIG. 1), the information reproducing apparatus or the informationrecording and reproducing apparatus perform processing in the sequenceof the following (1) to (5). This processing content will be shown inFIG. 14.

“(1) Reproduce information in the burst cutting area BCA”

→“(2) Reproduce information in an information data zone CDZ in thesystem lead-in area SYLDI”

→“(3) Reproduce information in the data lead-in area DTLDI (in the caseof recordable or rewritable type)”

→“(4) Readjust (optimize) a reproduction circuit constant in a referencecode recording zone RCZ”

→“(5) Reproduce information recorded in the data area DTA or record newinformation”

Therefore, if there is a large difference between the amplitude level ofthe reproduction signal from the data formed in the burst cutting areaBCA and the amplitude level of the reproduction signal from the systemlead-in area SYLDI, there arises the problem of reducing reliability ofinformation reproduction. In order to solve the problem, this embodimenthas the characteristic that the microscopic recessed and projectingshapes are previously formed in this burst cutting area BCA when the“L→H” type recording film is used for the recording film ((B3) in FIG.1).

By previously forming the microscopic recessed and projecting shapes,the light reflection level becomes lower than the light reflection levelfrom the mirror surface 210 due to optical interference effect at thestage before the data (bar code data) is recorded by local laserexposure, and the difference between the amplitude level of thereproduction signal (detection level) from the data formed in the burstcutting area BCA and the amplitude level of the reproduction signal(detection level) from the system lead-in area SYLDI reduces to a largeextent. As a result, reliability of information reproduction isenhanced, and the effect that the processing when shifting from theabove described (1) to (2) becomes easy.

In the case of using the “L→H” type recording film, there is the methodof adopting the embossed pit area 211 as in the system lead-in areaSYLDI as a concrete content of the microscopic recessed and projectingshapes previously formed in the burst cutting area BCA. As the otherexamples, there is the method of adopting a groove area 214, or a landarea and groove area 213 as in the data lead-in area DTLDI and the DATAarea DTA.

As explained in the embodiment ((B2) in FIG. 1) in which the systemlead-in area SYLDI and the burst cutting area BCA are separatelydisposed, if the inside of the burst cutting area BCA and the embossedpit area 211 overlap each other, the noise component of the reproductionsignal from the data formed in the burst cutting area BCA increases dueto unnecessary interference.

As an example of the microscopic recessed and projecting shapes in theburst cutting area BCA, it is considered to form the microscopicrecessed and projecting shapes in the groove area 214 or the land areaand groove area 213 instead of forming it in the emboss bit area 211. Asa result, the noise component of the reproduction signal from the dataformed in the burst cutting area BCA due to unnecessary interferencedecreases, and quality of the reproduction signal is enhanced.

If the track pitch of the groove area 214 or the land area and groovearea 213 formed in the burst cutting area BCA is conformed to the trackpitch of the system lead-in area SYLDI, manufacturability of theinformation storage medium is enhanced. Namely, at the time of producinga master of the information storage medium, the embossed pit in thesystem lead-in area is produced with the feeding motor speed of thealigner part of the master recording apparatus made constant. At thistime, the track pitch of the groove area 214 or the land area and groovearea 213 formed in the burst cutting area BCA is conformed to the trackpitch of the embossed pit in the system lead-in area SYLDI, and thereby,the motor speed can be kept constant continuously in the burst cuttingarea BCA and the system lead-in area SYLDI. Therefore, it is notnecessary to change the speed of the feeding motor in mid course, andtherefore, variation in pitch hardly occurs, thus enhancingmanufacturability of the information storage medium.

In all of the above-described three kinds of information storage media,the minimum management unit of the information to be recorded in theinformation storing media is a sector unit of 2048 bytes. A physicaladdress of the above described sector unit of 2048 bytes is defined as aphysical sector number. A setting method of the physical sector numberin the recordable information storage medium and the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium having single-layer structure is shown inFIG. 15. The physical sector number is not given to the inside of theburst cutting area BCA and the connection area CNA, but the physicalsector numbers are set for the system lead-in area SYLDI, the data areaDTA and the data lead-out area DTLDO in ascending order from the innercircumference. The physical sector numbers are set so that the finalphysical sector number of the system lead-in area SYLDI becomes“026AFFh”, and the physical sector number at the start position of thedata area DTA becomes “030000h”.

There are two kinds of physical sector number setting methods of thereproduction-only information storage media each having a double-layerstructure as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16B. One is parallel placement(Parallel Track Path) PTP shown in FIG. 16A, and has the structure inwhich the physical number setting method shown in FIG. 15 is applied toboth the two layers. The other method is opposite placement (OppositeTrack Path) OPT shown in FIG. 16B, in which the physical sector numberis set from the inner circumference to the outer circumference inascending order in the layer at the front (Layer 0) and the physicalsector number is set from the outer circumference to the innercircumference in ascending order in the layer at the back side (layer 1)on the other hand. In the case of the placement of OPT, a middle areaMDA, a data lead-out area DTLDO and a system lead-out area SYLDO aredisposed.

A physical sector number setting method in the rewritable informationstorage medium is shown in FIG. 17.

In FIG. 17, Zone, Nominal radius (mm), Number of Physical segment pertrack, Number of tracks, Start Physical sector number (hex value) andEnd Physical sector number (hex value) in each of Land and Groove areshown with respect to each of System Lead-in area, Connection area, DataLead-in area, Data area and Data Lead-out area.

In the rewritable information storage medium, the physical sectornumbers are respectively set for the land area and groove area. Therewritable information storage medium has the structure in which thedata area DTA is divided into 19 zones.

FIG. 18 shows each parameter value of this embodiment in thereproduction-only information storage medium, FIG. 19 shows eachparameter value of this embodiment in the recordable information storagemedium, and FIG. 20 shows each parameter value of this embodiment in therewrite-only information storage medium.

As is understood from comparison of FIG. 18 or FIG. 19 and FIG. 20(especially the comparison of the part (B)), the rewrite-onlyinformation storage medium is enhanced in recording capacity by closingup the track pitch and line density (data bit length) with respect tothe reproduction-only or the write-only information storage medium. Aswill be described later, in the rewrite-only information storage medium,the influence of crosstalk of the adjacent tracks is reduced to close upthe track pitch by adopting the land groove record.

All of the reproduction-only information storage medium, the recordableinformation storage medium and rewritable information storage mediumhave the characteristic that the data bit length and track pitch(corresponding to the record density) of the system lead-in/out areasSYLDI/SYLDO are made larger than the data lead-in/out areas DTLDI/DTLDO((B1) in FIG. 1). Compatibility with the current DVD is secured bymaking the data bit length and track pitch of the system lead-in/outareas SYLDI/SYLDO close to the value of the lead-in area of the currentDVD.

In the embodiment of the present invention, as in the current DVD-R, alevel difference of embossing of the system lead-in/out areasSYLDI/SYLDO of the recordable information storage medium is set to besmall. This brings about the effect that the depth of the pre-groove ofthe recordable information storage medium is made small, and thereproduction signal modulation degree from the record mark formed on thepre-groove by recording is made high. On the other hand, as thereaction, there arises the problem that the modulation degree of thereproduction signal from the system lead-in/out areas SYLDI/SYLDObecomes low. For this, the data bit length (and track pitch) of thesystem lead-in/out areas SYLDI/SYLDO is made large, and thereby, therepetitive frequency of pits and spaces at the closest position is keptapart from the optical cutoff frequency of the MTF (Modulation TransferFunction) of the objective lens for reproduction (is made significantlysmall). As a result, the amplitude of the reproduction signal from thesystem lead-in/out areas SYLDI/SYLDO is increased, and stabilization ofreproduction can be realized.

Comparison of the detailed data in the system lead-in SYLDI and the datalead-in DTLDI in various kinds of information storage media is shown inFIG. 21. (a) in FIG. 21 shows the data structure of thereproduction-only information storing medium, (b) in FIG. 21 shows thedata structure of the rewritable information storage medium, and (c) inFIG. 21 shows the data structure of the recordable information storagemedium.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 21, except that only the connection zone CNZ isthe mirror surface 210, the insides of all the system lead-in areaSYLDI, data lead-in area DTLDI and the data area DTA are the embossedpit area 211 where embossed pits are formed, in the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium.

The part where the inside of the system lead-in area SYLDI is theembossed pit area 211, and the connection zone CNZ has the mirrorsurface 210 is common. As shown in (b) of FIG. 21, in the rewritableinformation storage medium, the land area and groove area 213 are formedin the data lead-in area DTLDI and the data area DTA, and in therecordable information storage medium, the groove area 214 is formed inthe data lead-in area DTLDI and the data area DTA. Information isrecorded by forming the record mark in the land area and the groove area213 or the groove area 214.

An initial zone INZ indicates the start position of the system lead-inSYLDI. As semantic information recorded in the initial zone INZ, data ID(Identification Data) information including the above described physicalsector number or logical sector number is discretely disposed.Information of the data frame structure constituted of data ID, IED (IDError Detection code), main data recording user information, and EDC(Error Detection Code) is recorded in one physical sector as will bedescribed later, and information of the above-described data framestructure is also recorded in the initial zone INZ. However, all theinformation of the main data recording user information is all set at“00h” in the initial zone INZ, and therefore, the semantic informationin the initial zone INZ is only the above described data ID information.The position of the present head can be known from the information ofthe physical sector number or the logical sector number recorded in thisdata ID information. Namely, on starting information reproduction fromthe information storage medium in the information recording andreproducing unit 141 in FIG. 5, when reproduction is started from theinformation in the initial zone INZ, the information of the physicalsector number or the logical sector number recorded in the data IDinformation is extracted first. While the present position in theinformation storage medium is being confirmed, shift to a control datazone CDZ is made.

Buffer zones 1 and 2, BFZ1 and BFZ2 are each constituted of 32 ECCblocks. As shown in FIG. 18 to FIG. 20, one ECC block is constituted of32 physical sectors, and therefore, 32 ECC blocks correspond to 1024physical sectors. In the buffer zones 1 and 2, BFZ1 and BFZ2, theinformation of the main data is all set at “00h” as in the initial zoneINZ.

The connection zone CNZ which exists in the connection area (ConnectionArea) CNA is the area for physically separating the system lead-in areaSYLDI and the data lead-in area DTLDI, and this area becomes the mirrorsurface where any embossed pit or pre-groove does not exist.

A reference code recording zone (Reference code zone) RCZ of thereproduction-only information storage medium and the recordableinformation storage medium is the area used for adjusting thereproduction circuit of the reproduction apparatus (for example, forautomatic adjustment of each tap coefficient value at the time ofadaptive equalization performed in the tap controller in FIG. 9), andthe information of the aforementioned data frame structure is recordedtherein. The length of the reference code is the same as one ECC block(=32 sectors).

It is the characteristic of this embodiment that reference coderecording zones (Reference code zones) RCZ of the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium and the recordable information storage mediumare disposed adjacently to the data areas (Data Areas) DTA ((A2) in FIG.1). In any of the structures of the current DVD-ROM disc and currentDVD-R disc, a control data zone is disposed between the reference coderecording zone (Reference code zone) and the data area (Data Area), andthe reference code recording zone and the data area are spaced from eachother. If the reference code recording zone and the data area are spacedfrom each other, an inclination amount and optical reflectivity of theinformation storage medium, or (in the case of the recordableinformation storage medium), the recording sensitivity of the recordingfilm changes a little, and there arises the problem that even if thecircuit constant of the reproducing apparatus is adjusted at thereference code recording zone, the optimal circuit constant in the dataarea is shifted.

In order to solve the above described problem, the reference coderecording zone (Reference code zone) RCZ is disposed adjacently to thedata area (Data Area) DTA. As a result, when the circuit constant of theinformation reproducing apparatus is optimized in the reference coderecording zone (Reference code zone), the optimized state is also keptat the same circuit constant in the adjacent data area (Data Area) DTA.

When a signal is desired to be reproduced with high accuracy at theoptional place in the data area (Data Area) DTA, it is preferable topass the following steps (1) to (4). As a result, signal reproduction atthe target position becomes possible with extremely high accuracy.

(1) Optimize the circuit constant of the information reproducingapparatus in the reference code recording zone (Reference code zone)RCZ.

(2) Optimize the circuit constant of the information reproducingapparatus again while reproducing the nearest portion to the referencecode recording zone RCZ in the data area DTA.

(3) Optimize the circuit constant once again while reproducinginformation at an intermediate position between the target position inthe data area DTA and the optimized position in (2).

(4) Move to the target position and reproduce a signal.

Guard track zones 1 and 2, GTZ1 and GTZ2 existing in the recordableinformation storage medium and the rewritable information storage mediumare the area for defining the start border position of the data lead-inarea DTLDI and the border position of a disc test zone DKTZ and a drivetest zone DRTZ. This area is defined as the area where recording by therecord mark formation must not be performed. The guard track zones 1 and2, GTZ1 and GTZ2 exist in the data lead-in area DTLDI. Therefore, inthis area, the pre-groove area is previously formed in the recordableinformation storage medium and the groove area and the land area arepreviously formed in the rewritable information storage medium. Thewobble addresses are previously recorded in the pre-groove area or thegroove are and the land area as shown in FIG. 18 to FIG. 20, andtherefore, the current position in the information storage medium can bedetermined by using the wobble addresses.

The disk test zone DKTZ is the area which is set for performing qualitytest (evaluation) by the manufacturer of the information recordingmedium.

The drive test zone DRTZ is secured as the area for test writing beforethe information recording and reproducing apparatus records informationinto the information storage medium. The information recording andreproducing apparatus previously performs test writing in this area, andafter determining the optimal recording condition (write strategy), itcan record information in the data area DTA under the optimal recordingcondition.

A disc identification zone DIZ existing inside the rewritableinformation recording medium ((b) in FIG. 21) is the optionalinformation recording area, and a recordable area for each set with themanufacturer name information of the recording and reproducing apparatusand the related added information and Drive description constituted ofthe area where the manufacturer can record uniquely as one set.

Defect management areas 1 and 2, DMA 1 and 2 existing inside therewritable information storage medium ((b) in FIG. 21) are the placewhere defect management information inside the data area DTA isrecorded, and spare spot information or the like when a defect spotoccurs, for example, is recorded.

A data structure in a recording position management zone RMZ existing inthe recordable information storage medium ((c) in FIG. 21) is shown inFIG. 22. (a) in FIG. 22 shows the same thing in (c) in FIG. 21, andenlarged diagram of the recording position management zone RMZ in (c) inFIG. 21 is shown in (b) in FIG. 22.

In the recording position management zone RMZ, the data regarding therecording position management is collectively recorded in one recordingposition management data (Recording Management Data), and each time thecontent of the recording management data RMD is updated, new recordingmanagement data RMD is recorded at the rear side in sequence as a newrecording management data RMD. Namely, the recording position managementdata (Recording Management Data) RMD is recorded in the size unit of onephysical segment block (the physical segment block will be explainedlater), and is recorded at the rear in sequence as a new recordingmanagement data RMD each time the data content is updated.

The example of (b) in FIG. 22 shows the example in which the recordingmanagement data RMD #1 is recorded first, but the management data ischanged, and the data after the change (after updated) is recordedimmediately after the recording management data RMD #1 as recordingmanagement data RMD #2.

Accordingly, an unrecorded area 206 exists in the recording managementdata RMZ so that further recording is possible. The concrete informationcontent in the recording management data RMD will be described later byusing FIG. 30 to FIG. 32. The information content of an R physicalinformation zone RIZ shown in (c) of FIG. 21 will be also explained indetail later in the explanation of FIG. 27 to FIG. 29.

The characteristics of this embodiment lies in that as shown in FIG. 21,in each of the reproduction-only, recordable, and rewritable informationstoring media, the system lead-in area is disposed at the opposite sideof the data area with the data lead-in area therebetween ((B4) ofFIG. 1) and as shown in FIG. 13, the burst cutting area BCA and the datalead-in area DTLDI are disposed at the opposite sides with the systemlead-in area SYLDI therebetween.

When the information storage medium is inserted into the informationreproducing apparatus or the information recording and reproducingapparatus shown in FIG. 5, the information reproducing apparatus or theinformation recording and reproducing apparatus perform processing inthe order of the following (1) to (5). This processing content is shownin the above described FIG. 14.

(1) Reproduce information in the burst cutting area BCA

(2) Reproduce information in an information data zone CDZ in the systemlead-in area SYLDI

(3) Reproduce information in the data lead-in area DTLDI (in the case ofrecordable type or rewritable type)

(4) Readjust (optimize) a reproduction circuit constant in a referencecode recording zone RCZ

(5) Reproduce information recorded in the data area DTA or record newinformation

As shown in FIG. 21, information is disposed in order from the innercircumferential side along the sequence of the above describedprocessing, and therefore, unnecessary access processing to the innercircumference is not required. Accordingly, it is possible to reach thedata area DTA with the number of accesses reduced, and therefore, thereis provided the effect of advancing the start time of reproduction ofthe information recorded in the data area DTA or recording of newinformation. The slice level detection method is utilized for signalreproduction in the system lead-in area SYLDI (FIG. 1 [B]), and PRML isused for signal reproduction in the data lead-in area DTLDI and the dataarea DTA (FIG. 1 [A]). Therefore, when the data lead-in area DTLDI andthe data area DTA are made to adjoin each other, and reproduction isperformed in order from the inner circumferential side, stable signalreproduction is continuously possible by only switching from the slicelevel detection circuit to the PRML detection circuit only once betweenthe system lead-in area SYLDI and the data lead-in area DTLDI.Therefore, since the number of switching times of reproduction circuitfollowing the reproducing steps is small, the processing control issimplified and time required for starting reproduction in the data areabecomes short.

Comparison of the data structures in the data area DTA and the datalead-out area DTLDO in various kinds of information storing media isshown in FIG. 23. In FIG. 23, (a) shows the data structure of thereproduction-only information storage medium, (b) and (c) show the datastructures of the rewritable information storage medium, and (d) to (f)show the data structures of the recordable information storage medium.(b) and (d) especially show the data structure at the initial time(before recording), and (c), (e) and (f) show the data structures in thestate in which recording (record or rewrite) advances to some extent.

As shown in (a) in FIG. 23, the data recorded in the data lead-out areaDTLDO and the system lead-out area SYLDO have the data frame structures(the data frame structure will be described later) as the buffer zones1, 2 BFZ1 and 2 in FIG. 21, and all the values of the main data in themare set at “00h”. In the reproduction-only information storage medium,all the area in the data area DTA can be used as the prerecorded area201 of the user data. As will be described later, in all embodiments ofthe recordable information storage medium and the rewritable informationstorage medium, the rewritable/recordable ranges 202 to 205 of the userdata are smaller than the data area DTA.

In the recordable information storage medium or the rewritableinformation storage medium, a spare area (Spare Area) SPA is provided inthe innermost circumferential part of the data area DTA. When adefective place occurs in the data area DTA, replacement processing isperformed by using the above described spare area SPA, and in the caseof the rewritable information storage medium, its replacement historyinformation (defect management information) is recorded in the defectivemanagement areas 1 and 2 (DMA1, 2) in (b) of FIG. 21, and defectmanagement areas 3 and 4 (DMA3, 4) in (b) and (c) of FIG. 23. Defectmanagement information recorded in the defect management areas 3 and 4(DMA3, 4) in (b) and (c) of FIG. 23 have the same content as theinformation recorded in the defect management areas 1 and 2 (DMA1, 2) in(b) of FIG. 21.

In the case of the recordable information storage medium, thereplacement history information (defect management information) in thecase where replacement processing is performed is recorded in copyinformation C_RMZ which is the record content in the recording positionmanagement zone existing in the data lead-in area DTLDI shown in (c) inFIG. 21 and in a border zone which will be described later. Defectmanagement is not performed in the current DVD-R disc. Therefore, as thenumber of manufactured DVD-R discs increases, the DVD-R discs havingdefective spots in part come to appear, and the demand for enhancementin reliability of information recorded in the recordable informationstorage media is growing.

In the example shown in FIG. 23, the spare area SPA is also set for therecordable information storage medium to make defect management byreplacement processing possible (FIG. 1 [C]). As a result, it becomespossible to enhance reliability of recorded information by alsoperforming defect management processing for the recordable informationstorage medium having a defective spot in part. In the rewritableinformation storage medium or the recordable information storage medium,the information recording and reproducing apparatus determines on theuser side when many defects occur, whereby the spare place can beenlarged by automatically setting the extended spares area (ExtendedSpare Area) ESPA, ESPA1 and ESPA2 for the state immediately afterselling to the user shown in (b) and (d) in FIG. 23.

The extended spare areas ESPA, ESPA1 and ESPA2 are made settable in thismanner, and thereby, the media having a number of defects for the reasonof manufacture can be on sale. As a result, manufacturing yield isenhanced, thus making it possible to reduce the cost of the media.

When the extended spare areas ESPA, ESPA1 and ESPA2 are additionallyprovided in the data area DTA as shown in (c), (e) and (f) in FIG. 23,the rewritable or recordable ranges 203 and 205 of the user datadecrease, and it is necessary to manage the position information. In therewritable information storage medium, its information is recorded inthe defect management areas 1 to 4 (DMA1 to 4) and a control data zoneCDZ as will be described. In the case of recordable information storagemedium, its information is recorded in the data lead-in area DTLDI and arecording management zone RMZ existing in a border out BRDO as will bedescribed later. As will be described later, its information is recordedin recording position management data (Recording Management Data) RMD inthe recording position management zone RMZ. The recording managementdata RMD is updated and recorded in the recording management zone RMZeach time the management data content is updated, and therefore, even ifthe extended spare area is reset many times (the example in (e) of FIG.23 shows the state in which the extended spare area 1 EAPA1 is set, evenafter all the extended spare area is used up, there is so many defectsthat it is necessary to set another spare area, and therefore, extendedspare area 2 ESPA2 is further set at a later date), it is possible toupdate and manage the data timely ((C1) in FIG. 23).

Guard track zones 3 (GTZ3) shown in (b) and (c) in FIG. 23 are disposedfor separation between a defect management area 4 (DMA4) and a drivetest zone DRTZ, and a guard track zone GTZ4 is disposed for separationbetween a disc test zone DKTZ and a servo calibration zone (ServoCalibration Zone) SCZ. The guard track zones 3 and 4 (GTZ 3, 4) aredefined as the area in which recording by formation of the record marksmust not be performed as in the guard track zones 1 and 2 (GTZ1 and 2)shown in FIG. 21. Since the guard track zones 3 and 4 (GTZ3, GTZ4) existinside the data lead-out area DTLDO, in this area, a pre-groove area ispreviously formed in the recordable information storage medium, and agroove area and a land area are previously formed in the rewritableinformation storage medium. The wobble addresses are previously recordedin the pre-groove area, the groove area and the land area, as shown inFIG. 18 to FIG. 20, and therefore, the current position in theinformation storage medium is determined by using the wobble addresses.

The drive test zone DRTZ is secured as the area for test writing beforethe information recording and reproducing apparatus records informationinto the information storage medium as in FIG. 21. The informationrecording and reproducing apparatus previously performs test writing inthis area, and after determining the optimum recording condition (writestrategy), information can be recorded in the data area DTA with theoptimum write strategy.

The disc test zone DKTZ is the area for the manufacturer of theinformation storage medium to perform a quality test (evaluation) as inFIG. 21.

In all the areas in the data lead-out areas DTLDO except for servocalibration zones (Servo Calibration Zone) SCZ, the pre-groove area ispreviously formed in the recordable information storage medium, thegroove area and the land area are previously formed in the rewritableinformation storage medium, and it is made possible to record the recordmark (record or rewrite).

As shown in (c) and (e) in FIG. 23, the inside of the servo calibrationzone (Servo Calibration Zone) SCZ is the embossed pit area 211 as in thesystem lead-in area SYLDI instead of the pre-groove area 214, or theland area and groove area 213 (FIG. 1 [D]). In this zone, a continuoustrack by the embossed pit is formed, continuing from the other areas ofthe data lead-out area DTLDO. This track consecutively continues in aspiral form, extends over 360 degrees along the circumference of theinformation storage medium to form the embossed pit.

This zone is provided to detect the inclination amount of theinformation storage medium by using a DPD (Differential Phase Detect)method. When the information storage medium inclines, offset occurs tothe amplitude of the track deviation detection signal using the DPDmethod. At this time, it becomes possible to detect the inclinationamount by the offset amount and detect the inclination direction by theoffset direction with high accuracy. By utilizing this principle, theembossed pit by which the DPD detection can be performed is previouslyformed at the outermost peripheral portion (the peripheral portion inthe data lead-out area DTLDO) of the information storage medium, wherebyinclination detection at low cost with high accuracy is made possiblewithout adding a special component (for inclination detection) to theoptical head existing inside the information recording and reproducingunit 141 in FIG. 5. By further detecting the inclination amount of thisouter circumferential portion, stabilization of the servo (byinclination amount correction) can be also realized in the data areaDTA.

In this embodiment, the track pitch in this servo calibration zone SCZis conformed to those in the other zones in the data lead-out area DTLDO(FIG. 1 (D1)). As a result, manufacturability of the information storagemedium is enhanced, and reduction in cost of the medium by enhancementof yield is made possible. Namely, in the recordable information storagemedium, pre-groove is formed in the other zones in the data lead-outarea DTLDO. At the time of manufacturing the master of the recordableinformation storage medium, the pre-groove is made by making the speedof the feeding motor of the aligner part of the master recordingapparatus constant. At this time, by conforming the track pitch in theservo calibration zone SCZ to those in the other zones in the datalead-out area DTLDO, the feeding motor speed can be also continuouslykept constant in the servo calibration zone SCZ. Therefore, a pitchvariation hardly occurs, and manufacturability of the informationstorage medium is enhanced.

As another example, there is the method of conforming at least eitherthe track pitch or the data bit length in the servo calibration area SCZto the track pitch or the data bit length of the system lead-in areaSYLDI (FIG. 1 (D2)).

Measuring the inclination amount and the inclination direction in theservo calibration area SCZ by using the DPD method and realizing servostabilization in the data area DTA by utilizing the result in the dataarea DTA are described above. As the method for estimating theinclination amount in the data area DTA at this time, it is consideredto previously measure the inclination amount and its direction in thesystem lead-in area SYLDI by the same DPD method and estimate theinclination amount by utilizing the relationship with the measurementresult in the servo calibration zone SCZ.

In the case of using the DPD method, the offset amount of the detectionsignal amplitude with respect to the inclination of the informationstorage medium and the direction in which the offset comes out changedependently on the track pitch and the data bit length of the embossedpitch. Accordingly, it is considered to conform at least either thetrack pitch or the data bit length in the servo calibration zone SCZ tothe track pitch or the data bit length of the system lead-in area SYLDI.In this manner, the detection characteristics concerning the offsetamounts of the detection signal amplitude and the directions in whichthe offset comes out can be conformed to each other in the servocalibration area SCZ and the system lead-in area SYLDI. As a result,there arises the effect of making it easy to obtain correlation betweenboth of them and facilitate estimation of the inclination amount and thedirection in the data area DTA.

As shown in (c) in FIG. 21 and (d) in FIG. 23, in the recordableinformation storage medium, drive test zones DRTZ are provided at twospots in the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferentialside. As the number of test writings performed in the drive test zoneDRTZ is larger, the optimal recording condition can be sought in detailby varying the parameter minutely, and recording accuracy to the dataarea DTA is enhanced. In the rewritable information storage medium,reuse of the drive test zone DRTZ by overwriting is made possible.However, in the recordable information storage medium, when therecording accuracy is enhanced by increasing the number of testwritings, there arises the problem of using up the drive test zone DRTZin a short time. In order to solve the problem, this embodiment has thecharacteristic that it is made possible to set extended drive test zone(Extended Drive Test Zone) EDRTZ along the direction of the innercircumference from the outer circumferential portion, and it is madepossible to extend the drive test zone ((E2) in FIG. 1).

As the characteristics concerning the setting method of the extendeddrive test zone and the test writing method in the set extended drivetest zone, the following 1 to 3 can be cited in this embodiment.

1. Setting (framing) of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ is performedcollectively and sequentially from the outer circumferential direction(the side near the data lead-out area DTLDO) to the innercircumferential side.

As shown in (e) in FIG. 23, the extended drive test zone 1 (EDRTZ1) isset as a sizable zone from the nearest place (the nearest place to thedata lead-out area DTLDO) to the outer circumference in the data area,and after the extended drive test zone 1 (EDRTZ1) is used up, anextended drive test zone 2 (EDRTZ2) is made settable next as a sizablezone which exists at the inner circumferential side from the extendeddrive test zone 1 (EDRTZ1).

2. In the extended drive test zone EDRTZ, test writing is performedsequentially from the inner circumferential side ((E3) in FIG. 1). Whentest writing is performed in the extended drive test zone EDRTZ, testwriting is performed along the groove area 214 disposed in a spiral formalong the outer circumferential side from the inner circumferentialside, and test writing of this time is performed in the unrecorded placejust behind the place where test writing is performed previous time(already recorded).

The inside of the data area has the structure in which recording isperformed along the groove area 214 disposed in the spiral form to theouter circumferential side from the inner circumferential side. Namely,test writing in the extended drive test zone is performed according tothe method of sequentially recording test writing into the rear of theplace of the test writing which is performed immediately before, wherebythe processing of “verifying the place of the test writing which isperformed immediately before” and the next processing of “implementationof the test writing of this time” can be performed serially. As aresult, not only the test writing becomes easy, but also management ofthe place where test writing is already performed in the extended drivetest zone EDRTZ is simplified.

3. Resetting of the data lead-out area DTLDO is possible in the formincluding the extended drive test zone EDRZ ((E4) in FIG. 1).

(e) in FIG. 23 shows an example in which two extended spare areas 1 and2 (ESPA1, 2) are set in the data area DTA, and two extended drive testzones 1 and 2 (EDRTZ1, 2) are set in the data area DTA. In this case,this embodiment has the characteristic that reset can be performed asthe data lead-out area DTLO for the area including the area up to theextended drive test zone 2 (EDRT2) ((E4) in FIG. 1) as shown in (f) inFIG. 23. Being linked to this, reset of the range of the data area DTAis performed in the form of narrowed range, and it becomes easy tomanage the recordable range 205 of the user data existing in the dataarea DTA.

In the case of performing reset as in (f) in FIG. 23, the set place ofthe extended spare area 1 (ESPA1) shown in (e) in FIG. 23 is regarded as“the extended spare area already used up”, and management is performedconsidering that the unrecorded area (area where additional test writingis possible) exists only in the extended spare area 2 (ESPA2) in theextended drive test zone EDRTZ. In this case, nondefective informationwhich is recorded in the extended spare area 1 (ESPA1) and used forreplacement is transferred to an unused area in the extended spare area2 (ESPA2) as it is, and the defect management information is rewritten.At this time, start position information of the data lead-out area DTLDOwhich is reset is recorded in the position information of the newest(updated) data area DTA of the RMD field 0 in the recording managementdata RMD as shown in FIG. 30.

The waveform of the record pulse (write strategy) for performing testwriting in the above described drive test zone is shown in FIG. 24 andthe definition of the record pulse shape is shown in FIG. 25.

The structure of the border area in the recordable information storagemedium will be explained with FIG. 26. When one border area is set inthe recordable information storage medium for the first time, a borderedarea (Bordered Area) BRDA#1 is set at the inner circumferential side(the nearest side to the data lead-in area DTLDI), and thereafter,border-out (Border-out) BRDO is formed behind it, as shown in (a) inFIG. 26.

When the next bordered area (Bordered Area) BRDA #2 is desired to beset, the next border-in (Border-in) BRDI (of #1) is formed behind theprevious border-out BRDO (of #1) as shown in (b) in FIG. 26, andthereafter, the next bordered area BRDA #2 is set. When the nextbordered area BRDA #2 is desired to be closed, the border-out BRDO (of#2) is formed just behind it. In this embodiment, the state in which thenext border-in (Border-in) BRDI (of #1) is formed behind the previousborder-out BRDO (of #1) and is paired with the border-out BRDO (of #1)is called a border zone (Border Zone) BRDZ. The example of setting theextended drive test zone EDRTZ in the data area DTA is shown in (b) inFIG. 26.

The state after finalizing (Finalization) the recordable informationstorage medium is shown in (c) in FIG. 26. The example in which theextended drive test zone EDRTZ is incorporated in the data lead-out areaDTLDO and the extended spare area ESPA is further set is shown in (c) inFIG. 26. In this case, the recordable range 205 of the user data isfilled with the final border-out BRDO so that the recordable range 205of the user data is not left unfilled.

The detailed data structure in the border zone BRDZ explained above isshown in (d) in FIG. 26. Each information is recorded in a size unit ofone physical segment block (Physical Segment Block) which will bedescribed later.

Copy information C_RMZ of the content recorded in the recording positionmanagement zone is recorded in the initial part in the border-out BRDO,and a border stopping marker (Stop Block) STB indicating that this isthe border-out BRDO is recorded.

When the next border-in BRDI further comes, the initial markerindicating that a border area comes next (Next Border Marker) NBM isrecorded in the “N1st” physical segment block counted from the physicalsegment block in which this border stopping marker (Stop Block) STB isrecorded. Then, the second marker NBM indicating that a border areacomes next is recorded in the “N2nd” physical segment block, and thethird marker NBM indicating that a border area comes next is recorded inthe “N3rd” physical segment block. In this manner, the markers NBM arediscretely recorded at the three spots in total for each size of onephysical segment block.

Updated physical format information (Updated Physical FormatInformation) U_PFI is recorded in the next border-in BRDI.

When the next border area does not come (in the final border-out BRDO)in the current DVD-R or DVD-RW disc, the place where “the marker NBMindicating the next border” is to be recorded (the place of one physicalsegment block size) shown in (d) in FIG. 26 is kept to be “the placewhere no data is recorded”. When the border close is performed in thisstate, this recordable information storage medium (current DVD-R orDVD-RW disc) is in the state capable of reproduction in the conventionalDVD-ROM drive or the conventional DVD player. In the conventionalDVD-ROM drive or the conventional DVD player, track deviation detectionusing the DPD (Differential Phase Detect) method is performed byutilizing the record mark recorded on this recordable informationstorage medium (current DVD-R or DVD-RW disc). However, in the abovedescribed “place where no data is recorded”, a record mark does notexist over one physical segment block size, and therefore, trackdeviation detection using the DPD (Differential Phase Detect) methodcannot be performed. Therefore, there exists the problem that the trackservo does not perform stably.

As the solution to the problems of the above described current DVD-R orDVD-RW disc, the following [1] to [5] can be cited in this embodiment.

[1] When the next border area does not come, the data of a specificpattern is previously recorded in “the place where the marker NBMindicating the next border should be recorded”.

[2] When the next border area comes, “overwriting processing” isperformed with a specific record pattern partially and discretely in theplace of “the marker NBM indicating the next border” in which the abovedescribed data of the specific pattern is recorded. Namely, the methodof utilizing the overwriting processing as the identificationinformation indicating “that the next border area comes” is adopted. Bysetting the marker indicating the next border by overwriting (FIG. 4[L]) in this manner, the record mark of the specific pattern can bepreviously formed in “the place where the marker NBM indicating the nextborder should be recorded” even when the next border area does not existas shown in [1]. A a result, there arises the effect that when the trackdeviation detection is performed by the DPD method in thereproduction-only information reproducing apparatus after the borderclose, track servo performs stably.

There is the fear that stabilization of the PLL circuit shown in FIG. 5is impaired in the information recording and reproducing apparatus orthe information reproducing apparatus when a new record mark isoverwritten even partially on the part where the record mark is alreadyformed in the recordable information storage medium.

As the solution to the fear, the methods of [3] to [5] are furtheradopted in this embodiment.

[3] When overwriting is performed on the position of “the marker NBMindicating the next border” of one physical segment block size,overwriting situation is changed in accordance with the place in thesame data segment ((L1) in FIG. 4).

[4] overwriting is performed partially in the sync data 432, andoverwriting is prohibited on the sync code 431 ((L2) in FIG. 4).

[5] Overwriting is performed in the place except for the data ID andIED.

As will be explained in detail later by using FIGS. 65A to 65C, datafields 411 to 418 for recording the user data and guard areas 441 to 448are alternately recorded on the information storage medium. A set ofcombination of each of the data fields 411 to 418 and each of the guardareas 441 to 448 is called a data segment 490, and one data segmentlength corresponds to one physical segment block length.

In the PLL circuit shown in FIG. 5, lead-in of PLL is easily performedespecially in VFO areas 471 and 472 shown in FIGS. 65A to 65C.Accordingly, even if PLL is off, another lead-in of PLL can be easilyperformed by using the VFO areas 471 and 472 if it is in the placeimmediately before the VFO areas 471 and 472, and the influence as thewhole system in the information recording and reproducing apparatus orthe information reproducing apparatus is reduced.

By utilizing this situation, [3] the overwriting situation is changed inaccordance with the place in the data segment as described above ((L1)in FIG. 4), and overwriting amount of a specific pattern is increased atthe rear part near the VFO areas 471 and 472 in the same data segment.In this manner, it is made easy to determine “the marker indicating thenext border”, and the accuracy deterioration of the signal PLL at thetime of reproduction can be prevented.

As is explained in detail by using FIGS. 65A to 65C and FIG. 45, onephysical sector is constructed by combination of the place where a synccode 433 (SY0 to SY3) is disposed and sync data 434 disposed between thesynch codes 433. The information recording and reproducing apparatus orthe information reproducing apparatus extracts the sync code 433 (SY0 toSY3) from a channel bit string recorded on the information storagemedium, and detects a break of the channel bit string. The positioninformation (physical sector number or logical sector number) of thedata recorded on the information storage medium is extracted from theinformation of the data ID in FIG. 35 as will be described later. Theerror of the data ID is detected by using IED disposed immediatelybehind it.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, [5] overwriting is prohibited on thedata ID and IED, and [4] overwriting is partially performed in the syncdata 432 except for the sync code 431 ((L2) in FIG. 4), thereby alsomaking it possible to detect the data ID position by using the sync code431 and reproduce information recorded in the data ID (read the content)in “the marker NBM indicating the next border”.

In order to explain the above described content more specifically, theflow chart at the time of performing overwriting in the place of “themarker NBM indicating the next border” is shown in FIG. 12. When thecontrol unit 143 of the information recording and reproducing apparatusshown in FIG. 5 receives the setting instruction of a new border via theinterface unit 142 (ST1), the control unit 143 controls the informationrecording and reproducing unit 141 and starts reproduction of theexiting bordered area BRDA disposed at the end (ST2). Subsequently, theinformation recording and reproducing unit 141 keeps tracing along thepre-groove in the bordered area BRDA while tracking until it detects theborder stopping marker STB in the border-out BRDO (ST3).

As shown in (d) in FIG. 26, behind the border stopping marker STB, themarkers NBM each indicating the next border which is recorded in thespecific pattern are already disposed in the N1st, N2nd and N3rdphysical segment block. The information recording and reproducing unit141 counts the number of physical segment blocks while continuingreproduction in the border-out BRDO (ST4), and seeks the position of theabove described marker NBM indicating the next border (ST5).

As described above, as a specific example of the method of “[3] theoverwriting situation is changed in accordance with the place in thesame data segment ((L1) in FIG. 4)”, a wide overwriting area is taken inat least the final physical sector in the same data segment. When thefinal physical sector in the data segment is detected (ST6), overwritingis performed from immediately behind the data ID and IED to the end ofthe final physical sector with the data ID and IED left (withoutoverwriting in the data ID and IED) (ST9).

In the same data segment other than at least the final physical sector,overwriting is partially performed in a specific pattern in the syncdata 432 (ST7) while avoiding the area of the sync code 431 (SY0 to SY3)shown in FIG. 40 or FIG. 63 which will be described later ((L2) in FIG.4). The above described process is performed for each marker NBMindicating each border, and after overwriting processing for the markerNBM indicating the third border is finished (ST9), a new border-in BRDIis recorded, after which user data is recorded in the bordered area BRDA(ST10).

The logical record unit of the information recorded in the bordered areaBRDA shown in (c) in FIG. 26 is called R zone (R Zone). Accordingly, onebordered area BRDA is constructed by at least one or more R zones. Inthe current DVD-ROM, the file system called “UDF bridge” in which boththe file management information in conformity with the UDF (UniversalDisc Format) and the file management information in conformity withISO9660 are simultaneously recorded in one information storage medium isadopted for its file system. Here, in the fail management method inconformity with ISO9660, there is the rule that one file has to berecorded continuously without fail in the information storage medium(namely, it is prohibited to divide and dispose the information in onefile at discrete positions on the information storage medium).Accordingly, when the information is recorded in conformity with theabove described UDF bridge, for example, all information constitutingone file is continuously recorded, and therefore, the area where thisone file is continuously recorded can be adapted to constitute one Rzone.

FIG. 27 shows the data structure in the control data zone CDZ and theR-physical information zone RIZ. As shown in (b) in FIG. 27, physicalformat information (Physical Format Information) PFI and mediummanufacturing information (Disc Manufacturing Information) DMI exist inthe control data zone CDZ. The R-physical information zone RIZ isconstituted of the medium manufacturing information (Disc ManufacturingInformation) DMI and R-physical format information (R-Physical FormatInformation) R_PFI.

Information 251 concerning the medium manufacturing country and mediummanufacturer belonging country information 252 are recorded in themedium manufacturing information DMI (FIG. 2 [F]). When the informationstorage medium on sale makes infringement of the patent, infringementwarning is issued to the country where the manufacturing place exists orthe country where the information storage medium is consumed (used) inmany cases. The manufacturing place (country name) is found out bymaking it mandatory to record the above described information in theinformation storage medium, and patent infringement warning is easilyissued, whereby the intellectual property is protected and theadvancement of technology is promoted. Further, the other mediummanufacturing information 253 is also recorded in the disc manufacturinginformation DMI.

This embodiment is characterized in that the kind of information to berecorded is specified in accordance with the recording place (relativebyte position from the head) in the physical format information PFI orthe R physical format information R_PFI (FIG. 2 [G]). Namely, commoninformation 261 in the DVD family is recorded in the area of 32 byteswhich is from 0 byte to the 31st byte as the recording place in thephysical format information PFI or the R physical format informationR_PFI. 96 bytes from the 32nd byte to the 127th byte are for recordingcommon information 262 in the HD_DVD family which is the target of thisembodiment. 384 bytes from the 128th byte to the 511th byte is forrecording respective individual information (peculiar information) 263concerning each written standard type and a part version. 1536 bytesfrom the 512th byte to the 2047th byte is for recording informationcorresponding to each revision. By achieving commonality of theinformation position in the physical format information in accordancewith the information content like this, the place of the recordedinformation is made common irrespective of the kinds of the media.Therefore, commonality and simplification of reproduction processing ofthe information reproducing apparatus or the information recording andreproducing apparatus are achieved. The common information 261 in theDVD family which is recorded in the place from 0 byte to the 31st byteis divided into information 267 which is recorded in the place from 0byte to the 16th byte and recorded in common in the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium, the rewritable information storage mediumand the recordable information storage medium, and information 268 whichis recorded in the place from the 17th byte to the 31st byte andrecorded in common in the rewritable information storage medium and therecordable information storage medium, but not recorded in thereproduction-only type.

Concrete information contents in the physical format information PFI orthe R-physical format information R_PFI shown in FIG. 27 and thecomparison of information in the physical format information PFI inaccordance with the kind of medium (whether the reproduction-only type,rewritable type or recordable type) are shown in FIG. 28. As theinformation 267 recorded in common to all the reproduction-only type,rewritable type and recordable type in the common information 261 in theDVD family, there are sequentially in the byte position 0 to 16,information of the type of the written standard(reproduction-only/rewritable/recordable) and version numberinformation, medium size (diameter) and maximum possible data transferrate information, medium structure (single layer or double-layer,presence or absence of embossed pit/recordable area/rewritable area),recording density (linear density and track density) information,position information of the data area DTA, and presence and absenceinformation of the burst cutting area BCA (all present in thisembodiment).

As the information 268 which is the common information 261 in the DVDfamily and is recorded in common in the rewritable type and therecordable type, there are cited sequentially from the 28th byte to the31st byte, revision number information specifying the maximum recordingspeed, revision number information specifying the minimum recordingspeed, revision number table (application revision number), class stateinformation, and extended (part) version information. Giving theinformation from the 28th byte to the 31st byte corresponds to thecharacteristic of this embodiment of giving the revision informationcorresponding to the recording speed to the recording area of thephysical format information PFI or the R-physical format informationR_PFI ((G1) in FIG. 2).

When the medium which is enhanced in recording speed into the medium todouble-speed, quadruple-speed or the like is conventionally developed,extremely troublesome labor to newly recompose the written standard hasto be done corresponding to it each time. On the other hand, in thisembodiment, the written standard is divided into a written standardwhich changes in version when the content is changed to a large extent(version book) and a revision book which is issued by changing revisioncorresponding to a small change such as recording speed, and only therevision book which is updated in revision is issued each time therecording speed is enhanced. Thereby, extension function to futuremedium corresponding to the high-speed recording is ensured, and it ismade possible to be adapted to the standard by the simple method ofrevision, thus providing the effect of being adaptable to high speedwhen a new high-speed recording-compliant medium is developed.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the revision numbersare made separately settable at the maximum value and the minimum valueof the recording speed especially by separately providing the column ofthe revision number information specifying the maximum recording speedat the 17th byte, and the column of the revision number informationspecifying the minimum recording speed at the 18th byte ((G1α) in FIG.2). For example, when a recording film recordable at extremely highspeed is developed, such a recording film is capable of recording at theextremely high speed, but when the recording speed is lowered, such arecording film cannot perform recording suddenly, or the recording filmcapable of lowering the recordable minimum speed is very expensive inmany cases. On the other hand, the revision numbers are made separatelysettable at the maximum value and the minimum value of the recordingspeed as in this embodiment, whereby the selection range of thedevelopable recording film is widened, and as the result, there arisesthe effect of making it possible to supply media capable of higher-speedrecording and media at lower price.

The information recording and reproducing apparatus of the embodiment ofthe present invention previously has the information of the possiblemaximum recording speed and possible minimum recording speed in eachrevision. When an information storage medium is put on this informationrecording and reproducing apparatus, the information in the physicalformat information PFI or the R-physical format information R_PFI isread first in the information recording and reproducing unit 141 shownin FIG. 5. Subsequently, with reference to the information of thepossible maximum recording speed and possible minimum recording speed ofeach revision previously recorded in the memory unit 175 in the controlunit 143 based on the obtained revision number information, the possiblemaximum recording speed and the possible minimum recording speed of theinformation recording medium which is mounted thereon are determined.Further, recording is performed at the optimal recording speed based onthe result.

Next, the meaning of the peculiar information 263 of the type andversion of each written standard from the 128th byte to the 511th byte,and the meaning of the information content 264 peculiarly settable ineach revision from the 512th byte to the 2047th byte, which are shown in(c) in FIG. 27 will be explained. Namely, in the peculiar information263 of the type and version of each written standard from the 128th biteto the 511th byte, meaning of the record information content in eachbyte position is consistent irrespective of the rewritable informationstorage medium and the recordable information storage medium whichdiffer in type. The information content 264 peculiarly settable for eachrevision from the 512th byte to the 2047th byte is allowed to differ inthe meaning of the record information content at each byte position notonly when the difference between the rewritable information storagemedium and the recordable information storage medium which differ intypes exists, but also when the revision differs in the same kind ofmedia.

As shown in FIG. 28, as the information in the peculiar information 263of the type and version of each written standard in which the meaning ofthe record information content is consistent at each byte position inthe rewritable information storage medium and the recordable informationstorage medium which differ in types, medium manufacturer nameinformation, added information from the medium manufacturer, record markpolarity (discrimination of whether H→L or L→H) information, linearspeed information at the time of recording or at the time ofreproduction, the rim intensity value of an optical system along thecircumferential direction, the rim intensity value of the optical systemalong the radius direction, and recommended laser power (light amountvalue on recording surface) at the time of reproduction are cited, andthese are sequentially recorded.

This embodiment is characterized especially in that the 192nd byte isallowed to have the record mark polarity (discrimination of whether H→Lor L→H) information (Mark Polarity Descriptor). In the conventionalrewritable or recordable DVD disc, only the recording film of “H→L”(High to Low) type in which the light reflection amount in the recordmark becomes low (Low) with respect to the unrecorded state (reflectionlevel is relatively high: High) is admitted. On the other hand, when thedemands on “provision for high-speed recording” and “reduction in cost”or as physical performance, “decrease in cross erase”, “increase in theupper limit value of the number of rewrites” and the like are made forthe medium, there arises the problem of being incapable of coping withthese demands with only the conventional H→L type recording films. Onthe other hand, in this embodiment, not only the use of the H→L typerecording film but also the use of the “L→H” type recording filmincreasing in light reflection amount in the record mark is allowed, andtherefore, not only the conventional H→L type but also the L→H typerecording film is incorporated in the standard. As a result, theselection range of the recording film is widened, thereby providing theeffect of being capable of recording at high speed and supplying themedium at low price.

A concrete method of carrying out the information recording andreproducing apparatus will be explained hereinafter. In the writtenstandard (version book) or revision book, both the reproduction signalcharacteristics from the “H→L” type recording film and the reproductionsignal characteristic from the “L→H” type recording film are writtenside by side, and two corresponding circuits are prepared in the PRequalizing circuit 130 and the viterbi decoder 156 in FIG. 5corresponding to them. When the information storage medium is attachedin the information reproducing unit 141, the slice level detectingcircuit 132 for reading information in the system lead-in area SYLDI isstarted first. After the record mark polarity (discrimination of whetherH→L or L→H) information recorded at the 192nd byte is read in this slicelevel detecting circuit 132, discrimination of whether “H→L” type of“L→H” type is performed, and after the circuits in the PR equalizingcircuit 130 and the viterbi decoder 156 are switched corresponding tothis, the information recorded in the data lead-in area DTLDI or thedata area DTA is reproduced.

According to the above described method, the information in the datalead-in area DTLDI or the data area DTA can be read comparatively fastwith high accuracy.

The revision number information specifying the maximum recording speedis described at the 17th byte and the revision number informationspecifying the minimum recording speed is described at the 18th byte,but the above described information is only the range informationspecifying the maximum and minimum. The optimal linear speed informationis required at the time of record when recording is performed moststably, and the information of it is recorded at the 193rd byte.

Another large characteristic of this embodiment lies in that theinformation of the rim intensity value of the optical system along thecircumferential direction at the 194th byte and the rim intensity valueof the optical system along the radius direction at the 195th byte asthe optical system condition information is disposed at the positionprior to the various kinds of recording conditions (write strategy)information included in the information content 264 which can bepeculiarly set in each revision. The information of them means thecondition information of the optical system of the optical head which isused when the recording conditions disposed at the rear side aredetermined. The rim intensity means the distribution state of incidentlight incident on the objective lens before converging on the recordsurface of the information storage medium, and is defined by “theintensity value at the objective lens peripheral position (pupil surfaceouter peripheral position) when the center intensity of the incidentlight intensity distribution is set as “1” ”.

The intensity distribution of the incident light on the objective lensis not symmetrical about a point, but elliptic distribution, and sincethe rim intensity values differ in the radius direction and thecircumferential direction of the information storage medium, two kindsof values are recorded. As the rim intensity value is larger, theconverging spot size on the recording surface of the information storagemedium becomes smaller, and therefore, the optimal recording powercondition changes greatly in accordance with the rim intensity values.Since the information recording and reproducing apparatus previouslyknows the rim intensity value information of the optical head it owns,it firstly reads the rim intensity values of the optical system alongthe circumferential direction and the radius direction recorded in theinformation storage medium, and compares them with the values of theoptical head which it owns. If no significant difference is found in thecomparison result, the recording conditions recorded at the rear sidecan be applied. However, if there is significant difference in thecomparison result, it is necessary to ignore the recording conditionsrecorded at the rear side and start to determine the optimal recordingconditions while the recording and reproducing apparatus itself isperforming test writing by utilizing the drive test zone DRTZ describedin FIG. 21 or FIG. 23.

It is necessary to determine quickly whether the recording conditionsrecorded at the rear side is utilized, or determination of the optimalrecording conditions is started while the apparatus ignores theinformation and the apparatus itself is performing test writing in thismanner. As shown in FIG. 28, at the precedent position to the positionwhere the recommended recording conditions are recorded, the conditioninformation of the optical system in which the conditions are determinedis disposed. Therefore, there exists the effect that the rim intensityinformation can be read first, and applicability of the recordingconditions disposed behind can be determined at high speed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the written standard (versionbook) which is changed inversion when the content is changed to a largeextent, and the revision book which is issued by changing in revisioncorresponding to a small change such as recording speed are separatelyprepared, so that each time the recording speed is enhanced, only therevision book updated in only revision can be issued. Accordingly, whenthe revision number differs, the recording conditions in the revisionbook change, and therefore, the information concerning the recordingconditions (write strategy) are mainly recorded in the informationcontent 264 which can be set peculiarly for each revision from the 512thbyte to the 2047th byte. As is obvious from FIG. 28, as the informationcontent 264 which can be peculiarly set for each revision from the 512thbyte to the 2047th byte, not only the difference between the rewritableinformation storage medium and the recordable information storage mediumwhich differ in types is allowed, but also difference of the meaning ofthe recorded information content at each byte position in the case wherethe revision differs even in the same kind of media is allowed.

Definitions of peak power, bias power 1, bias power 2 and bias power 3in FIG. 28 correspond to the power values defined in FIG. 24. Thetermination time of the first pulse in FIG. 28 means TEFP defined inFIG. 24. Multi-pulse interval means TMP defined in FIG. 24. The starttime of the last pulse means TSLP defined in FIG. 24. The period of thebias power 2 of 2T mark means TLC defined in FIG. 24.

Comparison of the contents of the detailed information recorded in theposition information of the data area DTA recorded at the part from the4th byte to the 15th byte is shown in FIG. 29. The start positioninformation of the data area DTA is recorded in common withoutdiscriminating the types of the media, the physical format informationPFI and the R-physical format information R_PFI. As the informationindicating the termination position, the termination positioninformation of the data area DTA is recorded in the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium.

In the rewritable information storage medium, as shown in FIG. 17, theplace with the largest value of the physical sector number is in thegroove area, but the termination position information of the data areaDTA in the land area is recorded.

The final position information in the recordable range of the user datais recorded in the physical format information PFI of the recordableinformation storage medium, and this position information means theposition just before the point δ in the example shown in (e) in FIG. 23,for example.

On the other hand, the final position information of the recorded datain the corresponding bordered area BRDA is recorded in the R-physicalformat information R_PFI of the recordable information storage medium.

The final address information in the “layer 0” which is the layer infront seen from the reproduction side optical system is also recorded inthe reproduction-only information storage medium. The information of thedifference value of the start position information between the land areaand the groove area is recorded in the rewritable information storagemedium.

As shown in (c) in FIG. 21, the recording management zone RMZ exists inthe data lead-in area DTLDI. As shown in (d) in FIG. 26, the copyinformation exists in the border-out BRDO as the copy information C_RMZof the record content into the recording position management zone. Inthis recording management zone RMZ, recording position management data(Recording Management Data) RMD having the same data size as onephysical segment block size is recorded as shown in (b) in FIG. 22. Eachtime the content of the recording management data RMD is updated, therecording management data RMD can be sequentially recorded to the rearas the new updated recording management data RMD. The detailed datastructure in the one recording management data RMD is shown in FIGS. 30to 32. The inside of the recording management data RMD is furtherdivided into small RMD field information RMDF each in the size of 2048bytes.

The initial 2048 bytes in the recording management data RMD is a reservearea.

In the RMD field 0 of the next 2048-byte size, the recording managementdata format code information, the medium state information indicatingwhether the target medium is (1) in the unrecorded state, (2) halfwaythrough recording before finalizing, or (3) after finalizing, the uniquedisc ID (disc identification information), the position information ofthe data area DTA and the position information of the newest (updated)data area DTA, and the position information of the recording managementdata RMD are sequentially disposed.

In the position information of the data area DTA, the start positioninformation of the data area DTA and the final position information ofthe recordable range 204 of the user data at the initial time (in theexample (d) in FIG. 23, this information indicates the position justbefore the point β) are recorded as the information indicating therecordable range 204 ((d) in FIG. 23) of the user data at the initialstate.

This embodiment has the characteristic in that the extended drive testzone EDRTZ and the extended spare area ESPA are additionally settable inthe recordable range 204 of the user data as shown in (e) and (f) inFIG. 23 ((C1) and (E2) in FIG. 1). If the extension is made in this way,the recordable range 205 of the user data becomes small. Anothercharacteristic of this embodiment lies in that the related informationis recorded in “position information of the newest (updated) data areaDTA” so that user data is not recorded in the extended zones EDRTZ andESPA by mistake.

Namely, it can be known whether the extended drive test zone EDRTZ isadditionally provided or not by the presence and absence discriminationinformation of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ, and it can be knownwhether the extended spare area ESPA is additionally provided or not bythe presence or absence discrimination information of the extended sparearea (ESPA).

Further, as the recordable range information (FIG. 1 [E]) concerning therecordable range 205 of the user data managed in the recordingmanagement data RMD, there is the final position of the recordable range205 of the newest user data recorded in the position information of thenewest (updated) data area DTA in the RMD field 0 as shown in FIG. 30.By this, the recordable range 205 of the user data shown in (f) in FIG.23 is instantly found, and high-speed detection of the size (unrecordedamount) of the unrecorded area which is recordable hereafter is madepossible.

This brings about the effect that by setting the optimal transfer rateat the time of recording corresponding to the programmed recording timedesignated by the user, for example, recording into the medium can becarried out without fail with the highest realizable image quality atthe programmed recording time designate by the user.

Taking the example of (d) in FIG. 23 as an example, the above described“final position of the recordable range 205 of the newest user data”means the position just before the point 4. The position information canbe described in the ECC block address number as another example ((E1) inFIG. 1) instead of being described in the physical sector number.

As will be described later, one ECC block is constituted of 32 sectorsin this embodiment. Accordingly, low-order 5 bits of the physical sectornumber of the sector disposed at the head in the specific ECC blockcorresponds to the sector number of the sector disposed at the headposition in the adjacent ECC block.

When the physical sector number is set so that the low-order 5 bits ofthe physical sector number of the sector disposed at the head in the ECCblock becomes “00000”, the values of the higher bits than the low-ordersixth bit of the physical sector numbers of all the sectors existing inthe same ECC block correspond to each other. Therefore, the low-order5-bit data of the physical sector numbers of the sectors existing in theabove described same ECC block are removed, and the address informationextracting only the data of the higher bits than the low-order sixth bitis defined as the ECC block address information (or the ECC blockaddress number).

As will be described later, the data segment address information (orphysical segment block number information) recorded in advance by wobblemodulation corresponds to the above described ECC block address, andtherefore, when the position information in the recording positionmanagement data RMD is described in the ECC block address number, theeffects such as the following 1) and 2) are provided.

1) Access to an unrecorded area is especially performed at high speed.Since the position information unit in the recording management data RMDand the information unit of the data segment address recorded in advanceby wobble modulation correspond to each other, calculation processing ofthe difference is made easy.

2) The management data size in the recording position management dataRMD can be made small. The required number of bits for addressinformation description can be saved by five bits per one address.

As will be described later, one physical segment block lengthcorresponds to one data segment length, and the user data of one ECCblock is recorded in one data segment. Accordingly, when the expressionssuch as “ECC block address number”, “ECC block address”, “data segmentaddress”, “data segment number”, and “physical segment block number” areused, all of these expressions have the meanings of synonyms.

As shown in FIG. 30, set size information of the recording managementzone RMZ in which the recording management data RMD can be sequentiallyrecorded therein is recorded in ECC block unit or physical segment blockunit in the position information of the recording management data RMDpresent in the RMD field 0.

As shown in (b) in FIG. 22, one recording management data RMD isrecorded in each physical segment block. With this information, it canbe found how many times the updated recording management data RMD can berecorded in the recording management zone RMZ.

Next to it, the current recording management data number in therecording management zone RMZ is recorded. This means numeralinformation of the recording management data RMD already recorded in therecording management zone RMZ. For example, as the example shown in (b)in FIG. 22, assume this information is the information in the recordingmanagement data RMD#2, this information is the second recorded recordingmanagement data RMD in the recording management zone RMZ, and therefore,the value “2” is recorded in this column.

Next to this, the remaining amount information in the recordingmanagement zone RMZ is recorded. This information means the informationof the number of further recordable recording management data RMD in therecording management zone RMZ, and is described in physical segmentblock unit (=ECC block unit=data segment unit).

The following relationship is established among the above describedthree kinds of information.[Set size information of RMZ]=[current recording management datanumber]+[Remaining amount in RMZ]

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the used amount bythe recording management data RMD or the remaining amount information inthe recording management zone RMZ is recorded in the recording area ofthe recording position management data RMD ((E7) in FIG. 1).

For example, when all information is recorded in one recordableinformation storage medium at one time, it is suitable to record therecording management data RMD only once. However, when it is desired torepeatedly record recording of user data (recording of the user datainto the recordable range 205 of the user data in (f) in FIG. 23) indetail into one recordable information storage medium, it is necessaryto record updated recording management data RMD for each record. In thiscase, if the recording management data RMD is recorded frequently, theunrecorded area 206 shown in (b) in FIG. 22 is used up, and it isnecessary for the information recording and reproducing apparatus totake appropriate measures. Therefore, by recording the already usedamount by the recording management data RMD or the remaining amountinformation in the recording management zone RMZ in the recording areaof the recording management data RMD, the unrecordable state in therecording management zone RMZ can be known in advance, and it ispossible for the information recording and reproducing apparatus to takemeasures early.

This embodiment has the characteristic in that the data lead-out areaDTLDO can be set in such a form as includes the extended drive test zoneEDRTZ inside as shown in the shift from (e) to (f) in FIG. 23 ((E4) inFIG. 1). At this time, the start position of the data lead-out areaDTLDO changes from the point P to the point ε in (e) of FIG. 22. Inorder to manage this situation, the column for recording the startposition information of the data lead-out area DTLDO is provided in theposition information of the newest (updated) data area DTA of the RMDfield 0 in FIG. 30. As described above, the drive test (test writing) isbasically recorded in cluster unit capable to extend in data segment(ECC block) unit. Accordingly, the start position information of thedata lead-out area DTLDO is described in the ECC block address number.However, as another example, it is possible to describe the startposition information in the physical sector number or physical segmentblock number of the physical sector initially disposed in the initialECC block, data segment address, or ECC block address.

The history information of the information recording and reproducingapparatus which performed recording of the corresponding medium isrecorded in the RMD field 1. For each information recording andreproducing apparatus, the manufacturer identification information,serial number and model number described in ASCII code, date timeinformation of recording power adjustment using the drive test zone, andrecording condition information at the time of additional recording aredescribed in accordance with the format of all recording conditioninformation in the information 264 (FIG. 28) individually settable foreach revision.

The RMD field 2 is an area used by a user, in which the user can recordinformation or the like of the recorded (desired) content, for example.

The start position information of each border zone BRDZ is recorded inthe RMD field 3. Namely, as shown in FIG. 30, the start positioninformation of the first to fiftieth border-out BRDO is described in thephysical sector numbers. For example, in the example shown in (c) inFIG. 26, the start position of the first border-out BRDO expresses theposition of the point η, an the start position of the second border-outBRDO indicates the position of the point θ.

The position information of the extended drive test zone is recorded inthe RMD field 4. The final position information of the place which isalready used for test writing in the drive test zone DRTZ in the datalead-in area DTLDI described in (c) in FIG. 21 is firstly recorded, andthe final position information of the place which is already used fortest writing in the drive test zone DRTZ in the data lead-out area DTLDOdescribed in (d) to (f) in FIG. 23 is recorded.

The drive test zone DRTZ is used for test writing sequentially from theinner circumferential side (smaller physical sector number) to the outercircumferential direction (the direction in which the physical sectornumber becomes larger). The place unit used for test writing is the ECCblock unit since test writing is performed in cluster unit which is therecording unit as will be described later. Accordingly, as the finalposition information of the place already used for test writing, the ECCblock address number is written, or the physical sector number of thephysical sector disposed at the end of the ECC block used for testwriting is written when it is written in the physical sector number. Theplace used for test writing once is already recorded, and therefore,when the next test writing is to be performed, the test writing isperformed at the next position to the last position already used fortest writing. Therefore, by utilizing the last position information(=already used amount in the drive test zone DRTZ) of the place alreadyused for test writing in the above described drive test zone DRTZ ((E5)in FIG. 1), the information recording and reproducing apparatus not onlycan find out where to start test writing next instantly, but also candetermine whether a vacant space capable of next test writing is presentor not in the drive test zone DRTZ from the information.

Size information of the area capable of additional test writing in thedrive test zone DRTZ in the data lead-in area DTLDI or flag informationindicating whether the drive test zone DRTZ is used up or not, and sizeinformation of the area capable of additional test writing in the drivetest zone DRTZ in the data lead-out area DTLDO or flag informationindicating whether the drive test zone DRTZ is used up or not arerecorded. The size of the drive test zone DRTZ in the data lead-in areaDTLDI and the size of the drive test zone DRTZ in the data lead-out areaDTLDO are already known. Therefore, it is possible to determine the size(remaining amount) of the area in which additional test writing can beperformed in the drive test zone DRTZ with only the final positioninformation of the place already used for test writing in the drive testzone DRTZ in the data lead-in area DTLDI or the drive test zone DRTZ inthe data lead-out area DTLDO. However, by providing this information inthe recording management data RMD ((E5) in FIG. 1), the remaining amountin the drive test zone DRTZ is immediately known, and time before thedetermination of presence or absence of setting of new extended drivetest zone EDRTZ can be shortened. As another example, the flaginformation of whether this drive test zone DRTZ is used up or not canbe recorded in this column instead of the size (remaining amount)information of the area where additional test writing can be performedin the drive test zone DRTZ. If the flag by which the fact that drivetest zone DRTZ is already used up is found out instantly is set, therisk of performing test writing in this area by mistake can beeliminated.

In the RMD field 4, the information of the number of additional settingof the extended drive test zone EDRTZ is recorded next. In the exampleshown in (e) in FIG. 23, the extended drive test zones EDRTZ are set attwo spots which are the extended drive test zone 1 EDRTZ1 and theextended drive test zone 2 EDRTZ2, and therefore, “the number ofadditional settings of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ=2”. The rangeinformation of each of the extended drive test zones EDRTZ and theinformation of the range already used for test writing are furtherrecorded in the field 4. By making it possible to manage the positioninformation of the extended drive test zone in the recording positionmanagement data RMD in this manner ((E6) in FIG. 1), it is made possibleto set extension of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ a plurality oftimes, and the position information of the extended drive test zoneEDRTZ which is consecutively extended in the form of updating andrecording of the recording management data RMD in the recordableinformation storage medium can be accurately managed. As a result, therisk of overwriting the user data on the extended drive test zone EDRTZas a result of determining it as the recordable range 204 of the userdata ((d) in FIG. 22) by mistake can be eliminated.

As described above, the test writing unit is recorded in the clusterunit (ECC block unit), and therefore, the range of each of the extendeddrive test zones EDRTZ is designated in the ECC block address unit. Inthe example shown in (e) in FIG. 23, the start position information ofthe extended drive test zone EDRTZ which is initially set is shown bythe point γ since the extended drive test zone 1 EDRTZ1 is initiallyset, and the end position information of the extended drive test zoneEDRTZ which is initially set corresponds to the position just before thepoint β. The unit of the position information is also described in theECC block address number or the physical sector number.

In the example in FIG. 30, the termination position information of theextended drive test zone EDRTZ is shown, but without being limited tothis, the size information of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ may bedescribed instead. In this case, the size of the extended drive testzone 1 (EDRTZ1) initially set is “β−γ”. The final position informationof the place which is already used for test writing in the extendeddrive test zone EDRTZ which is initially set is also described in theECC block address number or the physical sector number.

Next, size (remaining amount) information of the area in whichadditional test writing can be further performed in the extended drivetest zone EDRTZ which is initially set is recorded. The size of theextended drive test zone 1 (EDRTZ1) and the size of the area which isalready used therein are known from the above described information, andtherefore, the size (remaining amount) of the area in which additionaltest writing can be performed is automatically obtained. However, byproviding this field ((E5) in FIG. 1), it can be immediately knownwhether the current drive test zone is sufficient or not when new drivetest (test writing) is performed, and thus, the judging time until theadditional setting of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ is determinedcan be shortened. The size (remaining amount) information of the area inwhich additional test writing can be further performed can be recordedin this field, and as another example, it is possible to set the flaginformation indicating whether the extended drive test zone EDRTZ isused up or not in this field. If the flag from which the fact that theextended drive test zone EDRTZ is already used up is known instantly isset, the risk of performing test writing in this area by mistake can beeliminated.

One example of the processing method for setting a new extended drivetest zone EDRTZ by the information recording and reproducing apparatusshown in FIG. 5 and performing test writing there will be explained.This processing content is shown in FIG. 33.

(1) Attach a recordable information storage medium onto the informationrecording and reproducing apparatus.

→(2) Reproduce the data formed in the burst cutting area BCA in theinformation recording and reproducing unit 141, and transfer it to thecontrol unit 143→Decode the transferred information in the control unit143, and determine whether to proceed to the next step.

→(3) Reproduce the information recorded in the control data zone CDZ inthe system lead-in area SYLDI in the information recording andreproducing unit 141, and transfer it to the control unit 143.

→(4) Compare the values (the 194th byte and the 195th byte in FIG. 28)of the rim intensity when the recommended recording condition isdetermined in the control unit 143 and the values of the rim intensityof the optical head used in the information recording and reproducingunit 141, and determine the necessary area size for test writing.

→(5) Reproduce the information in the recording management data by theinformation recording and reproducing unit 141 and transfer it to thecontrol unit 143. Decode the information in the RMD field 4 in thecontrol unit, then determine the presence or absence of sufficient areasize necessary for test writing determined in (4), proceed to (6) in thecase having sufficient area size, and proceed to (9) in the case withoutsufficient area size. →(6) Determine the place at which the test writingstarts this time from the final position information of the place whichis already used for test writing in the drive test zone DRTZ to be usedfor test writing or the extended drive test zone EDRTZ from the RMDfield 4. →(7) Execute test writing by the size determined in (4) fromthe place determined in (6). →(8) Temporarily store the recordingmanagement data RMD in which the final position information of the placealready used for test writing is rewritten in the memory unit 175because the place which is used for test writing increases due to theprocessing in (7), and proceed to (12).

*(9) Read the information of “the final position of the recordable range205 of the newest user data” recorded in the RMD field 0 or “the finalposition information of the recordable range of the user data” recordedin the position information in the data area DTA in the physical formatPFI shown in FIG. 29 by the information recording and reproducing unit141, and set the range of the extended drive test zone EDRTZ, which isto be newly set, in the control unit 143. →(10) Update the informationof “the final position of the recordable range 205 of the newest userdata” recorded in the RMD field 0, based on the result of (9), andincrement the information of the number of additional settings of theextended drive test zone EDRTZ in the RMD field 4 by one (adding thenumber and 1) to perform new setting. Store the recording positionmanagement data RMD, to which the start/end position information of theextended drive test zone EDRTZ is added, temporarily in the memory unit175. →(11) proceed to (7) to (12).

*(12) Record necessary user information in the recordable range 205 ofthe user data under the optimal recording conditions obtained as aresult of the test writing performed in (7). →(13) Record the start/endposition information (FIG. 31) in the R zone newly generatedcorresponding to (12), and store the updated recording management dataRMD temporarily in the memory unit 175. →(14) The control unit 143controls and the information recording and reproducing unit 141additionally records the newest recording position management data RMDtemporarily stored in the memory unit 175 in the unrecorded area 206(for example, (b) in FIG. 22) in the recording position management zoneRMZ.

As shown in FIG. 31, the position information of the extended spare areaESPA is recorded in the RMD field 5. The characteristic of thisembodiment lies in that the recordable information storage medium, thespare area is extendable and the position information of the spare areais managed in the position management data RMD ((C1) in FIG. 1).

In the example shown in (e) in FIG. 23, the extended spare areas ESPAare set at two spots of the extended spare area 1 (ESPA1) and theextended spare area 2 (ESPA2), and therefore, the number of additionalsettings of the extended spare area ESPA described at the head in theRMD field 5 is “2”. The start position information of the extended sparearea ESPA which is initially set corresponds to the position of thepoint δ, the end position information of the extended spare area ESPAwhich is firstly set corresponds to the position just before the pointγ, the start position information of the extended spare area ESPA whichis secondarily set corresponds to the position of the point ζ, and theend position information of the extended spare area ESPA which issecondarily set corresponds to the position just before the point ε.

The information concerning the defect management is recorded in the RMDfield 5 in FIG. 31. The characteristic of this embodiment lies in thatthe information of the already used amount or the remaining amount ofthe spare area SPA (or the extended spare area ESPA) is recorded in theRMD ((C2) in FIG. 1). More specifically, number information or thephysical segment block number information of the ECC blocks which arealready used for replacement in the spare area adjacent to the datalead-in area DTLDI is recorded in the first column in the RMD field 5 inFIG. 31. In this embodiment, replacement processing is performed in theECC block unit for the defective area found in the recordable range 204of the user data.

As will be described later, one data segment constituting one ECC blockis recorded in one physical segment block area. Therefore, the number ofreplacements already performed equals the number of ECC blocks alreadyused for replacement (or the number of physical segments, the number ofdata segments). Accordingly, the unit of the information described inthis column is the ECC block unit, the physical segment block unit orthe data segment unit.

In the recordable information storage medium, in the spare area SPA orthe extended spare area ESPA, the place to be used for replacementprocessing is used from the inner circumferential side with smaller ECCblock address number in many cases. Accordingly, as the information ofthis column, it is possible to describe the ECC block address number asthe final position information of the used place for replacement inanother example.

As shown in FIG. 31, the sections for recording the similar kinds ofinformation (“the information of the number of ECC blocks or the numberof physical segment blocks already used for replacement, or the finalposition information of the place used for replacement (ECC blockaddress number) in the extended spare area ESPA firstly set” and “theinformation of the number of ECC blocks or the information of the numberof physical segment blocks already used for replacement, or the finalposition information of the place used for replacement (ECC blockaddress number) in the extended spare area ESPA secondarily set” existfor the extended spare area 1 (ESPA1) which is firstly set and theextended spare area 2 (ESPA2) which is secondarily set.

The following 1) and 2) can be carried out by utilizing these kinds ofinformation.

1) When the next replacement processing is to be performed, a spareplace to be newly set for the defective area which is found out in therecordable range 205 of the user data can be found out instantly. Newreplacement is performed just after the final position of the placealready used for replacement.

2) The remaining amount in the spare area SPA or the extended spare areaESPA is obtained by calculation, and (when the residual amount isinsufficient), presence or absence of necessity of setting a newextended spare area ESPA can be known.

The size of the spare area SPA adjacent to the data lead-in area DTLDIis known in advance, and therefore, if the information concerning thenumber of ECC blocks already used for replacement in the spare area SPAis available, the remaining amount in the spare area SPA can becalculated. However, the remaining amount is found out instantly byproviding the recording frame of the information of the number of ECCblocks or the information of the number of physical segment blocks ofthe unused place usable for replacement in future which is the remainingamount information in the spare area SPA, and the time required fordetermination of presence or absence of the necessity of setting of theadditional extended spare area ESPA can be shortened. From the samereason, the frames in which “the information of the remaining amount inthe extended spare area ESPA firstly set” and “the information of theremaining amount in the extended spare area ESPA secondarily set” areprovided ((C2) in FIG. 1).

In this embodiment, the spare area SPA is made extendable in therecordable information storage medium, and its position information ismanaged in the recording management data RMD ((C1) in FIG. 1). As shownin (e) in FIG. 22, the extended spare areas land 2 (ESPA1, ESPA2) andthe like can be extended and set at optional start positions in optionalsizes in accordance with necessity. Accordingly, the information of thenumber of additional settings of the extended spare area ESPA isrecorded in the RMD field 5, and the start position information of theextended spare area ESPA initially set and the start positioninformation of the extended spare area ESPA secondarily set aresettable. These pieces of start position information are described inthe physical sector numbers or ECC block address numbers (or physicalsegment block numbers, data segment addresses). In the example in FIG.30, as the information specifying the range of the extended spare areaESPA, “the end position information of the extended spare area ESPAfirstly set” and “the end position information of the extended sparearea ESPA secondarily set” are recorded. However, as another example, itis possible to record the size information of the extended spare areaESPA instead of the end position information by the ECC block number orthe physical segment block number, the data segment number, the ECCblock number or the physical sector number.

The defect management information is recorded in the RMD field 6. Inthis embodiment, the following two kinds of methods of [1] and [2] canbe provided as the method for enhancing reliability of informationconcerning defect processing which is recorded in the informationstorage medium.

[1] Conventional “replacement mode” for recording information planned tobe recorded in the defective place into a spare place.

[2] “Multiplexing mode” for enhancing reliability by recording theinformation of the same content twice in different places on theinformation storage medium.

The information concerning by which mode the processing is performed isrecorded in “class information of defect management processing” in thesecondary defect list entry information in the recording management dataRMD as shown in FIG. 32 ((C3) in FIG. 1).

The following is provided for the content in the secondary defect listentry information.

[1] In the Case of Replacement Mode

Class information of the defect management processing is set at “01”(same as in the conventional DVD-RAM).

“Position information of the original ECC block” means the positioninformation of the ECC block which is found as a defective place in therecordable range 205 of the user data, and the information which isoriginally to be recorded in this place is not recorded, but recorded inthe spare area or the like.

“Position information of the replacement destination ECC block” meansthe position information of the replacement place set in the spare areaSPA or the extended spare area 1 (ESPA1) and the extended spare area 2(ESPA2) in (e) in FIG. 23, and the information, which is to be recordedin the defective place which is found out in the recordable range 205 ofthe user data, is recorded here.

[2] In the case of multiplexing mode ((C3) in FIG. 1) Class informationof the defect management processing is set at “10”.

“Position information of the original ECC block” means the positioninformation of the non-defective place, in which the information to berecorded is recorded and the information recorded herein can beaccurately reproduced.

“Position information of replacement destination ECC block” means theposition information of the place in which quite the same content as theinformation recorded in the above described “position information of theoriginal ECC block” is recorded for multiplexing set in the spare areaSPA or the extended spare area 1 (ESPA1) and the extended spare area 2(ESPA2) in (e) in FIG. 23.

When recorded in the above described “[1] replacement mode”, it isconfirmed that the information recorded in the information storagemedium can be accurately read at the stage directly after recording.However, there is the risk of being unable to reproduce the abovedescribed record as a result of a flaw and dust attaching to theinformation storage medium due to failure of the user thereafter.

On the other hand, when recorded in the above described “[2]multiplexing mode”, even if the information cannot be partially read dueto attachment of a flaw and dust to the information storage medium dueto failure of the user, the same information is backed up in the otherpart, and therefore, reliability of information reproduction is enhanceddramatically. If replacement processing of “[1] Replacement mode” isperformed for the information which is not read at this time byutilizing the above described backed up information, reliability isfurther enhanced.

Accordingly, by the processing of the above described “[2] Multiplexingmode”, or the combination of the processing of “[1] Replacement mode”and the processing of “[2] Multiplexing mode”, there is provided aneffect of being capable of securing high information reproductionreliability after recording with a countermeasure against a flaw anddust taken into consideration.

As the method of describing the position information of the abovedescribed ECC block, there exists the method of describing the ECC blockaddress, physical segment block address or data segment address otherthan the method of describing the physical sector number of the physicalsector present at the head position constituting the above described ECCblock. As will be described later, the area on the data which data ofone ECC block size enters is called a data segment in this embodiment.As a physical unit of the place in which data is recorded on theinformation storage medium, the physical segment block is defined, andone physical segment block size corresponds to the size of the area inwhich one data segment is recorded.

This embodiment also has a configuration in which the defect positioninformation which is detected in advance before replacement processing.This makes it possible for the manufacturer of the information storingmedia to inspect the defect state in the recordable range 204 of theuser data just before shipment and record the defective place which isfound out in advance (before replacement processing), and also makes itpossible for the information recording and reproducing apparatus on theuser side to inspect the defect state in the recordable range 204 of theuser data when performing initializing processing and record thedefective place which is found out in advance (before replacementprocessing).

The information indicating the defect position detected in advancebefore replacement processing as described above is “the presence andabsence information of replacement processing of a defective block to aspare block” (SLR: Status of Linear Replacement) in the secondary defectlist entry information shown in FIG. 32.

When the presence and absence information SLR of replacement processingof a defective block to a spare block is “0”.

Replacement processing is performed for the defective ECC blockdesignated in “the original ECC block position information”, andreproducible information is recorded in the place designated in “thereplacement destination ECC block position information”.

When the presence and absence information SLR of replacement processingof a defective block to a spare block is “1”.

The defective ECC block designated in “the original ECC block positioninformation” means the defective block detected in advance at the stagebefore replacement processing, and the column of “the replacementdestination ECC block position information” is blank (no information isrecorded).

If the defective place is known in advance, there is provided the effectof being capable of performing optimal replacement processing at highspeed (and in real time) at the stage of the information recording andreproducing apparatus recording the user data in the recordableinformation storage medium. Especially when image information and thelike are recorded in the information storage medium, it is necessary toensure continuity at the time of recording, and high-speed replacementprocessing based on the above described information becomes important.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the managementinformation area (RMD field 6) of the defect management is extendable([C] in FIG. 1). When a defect exists in the recordable range 205 of theuser data, replacement processing is performed at a predetermined placein the spare area SPA or the extended spare area ESPA, and one piece ofsecondary defect list entry (Secondary Defect List Entry) information isadded to each one replacement processing, then the combinationinformation of the position information of the defective ECC block andthe position information of the ECC block utilized for replacement isrecorded in the RMD field 6. When a new defective place is found whenrecording of new user data is repeated in the recordable range 205 ofthe user data, replacement processing is performed, and the number ofpieces of secondary defect list entry information increases. Byrecording the recording management data RMD with increased number ofpieces of secondary defect list entry information into the unrecordedarea 206 in the recording position management zone RMZ as shown in (b)in FIG. 22, extension of the management information area of defectmanagement (RMD field 6) (FIG. 1 [C]) is handled.

By carrying out this embodiment, reliability of the defect managementinformation itself can be enhanced from the following reasons.

1) The recording position management data RMD can be recorded byavoiding a defective place in the recording management zone RMZ.

A defective place sometimes occurs in the recording position managementzone RMZ shown in (b) in FIG. 22. The unrecordable state due to defectcan be detected by verifying the content of the recording managementdata RMD newly recorded in the recording management zone RMZ just afterrecording. When the unrecordable state is detected, the recordingmanagement data RMD is written again next to it, and thereby, therecording management data RMD can be recorded in such a manner asensures high reliability.

2) If reproduction of the past recording management data RMD becomesimpossible due to a flaw or the like attached to the surface of theinformation storage medium, a certain degree of backup becomes possible.

For example, in (b) in FIG. 22, the state in which a flaw is made on thesurface of the information storage medium due to a user's mistake or thelike after recording the recording management data RMD #2, andreproduction of the recording management data RMD #2 becomes impossibleis assumed as an example. In this case, the past defect managementinformation (information in the RMD field 6) can be restored to somedegree by reproducing the information of the recording management dataRMD #1 instead.

The size information of the RMD field 6 is recorded at the first placeof the RMD field 6, and the management information area (RMD field 6) ofdefect management is made extendable (FIG. 1 [C]) by making this fieldsize variable. It is already described that each RMD field is set at2048 size (one physical sector size amount), but when the informationstorage medium has many defects and the number of times of replacementprocessing increases, the size of the secondary defect list informationincreases, and cannot be housed in 2048 byte-size (one physical sectorsize amount). Considering this situation, the RMD field 6 is in the formto be capable of being a plurality of times of 2048 size (recordableacross a plurality of sectors). Namely, when “the size of the RMD field6” exceeds 2048 bytes, the area of the size of a plurality of physicalsectors is allocated to the RMD filed 6.

In the secondary defect list information SDL, “the secondary defect listdiscrimination information” indicating the start position of thesecondary defect list information SDL, and “update counter of thesecondary defect list (update times information)” indicating how manytimes this secondary defect list information SDL is rewritten arerecorded other than the secondary defect list entry informationexplained above. The data size of the entire secondary defect listinformation SDL is known from “information of the number of secondarydefect list entries”.

It is already described that user data is logically recorded by R zone(R Zone) unit in the recordable range 205 of the user data. Namely, apart of the recordable range 205 of the user data reserved for recordingthe user data is called an R Zone. The R Zone is divided into two kindsof R zones in accordance with the recording condition. The type in whichthe additional user data can be further recorded is called “open type Rzone (Open R Zone)”, and the type in which the user data cannot be addedfurther is called “complete type R zone (Complete R Zone)”.

In the writable range 205 of the user data, three or more of “open Rzones” cannot be included (namely, “open R zones” can be set at only twospots in the recordable range 205 of the user data). The place in whicheither of the above described two kinds of R zones is not set in therecordable range 205 of the user data, namely, the place which isreserved to record user data (as either of the above described two kindsof R zones) is called “R zone in undesignated state (Invisible R Zone)”.

When user data is recorded in all the recordable range 205 of the userdata, and cannot be added, this “Invisible R Zone” does not exist. Theposition information up to the 254th R zone is recorded in the RMD field7. “Information of the number of entire R zones” recorded in the firstplace in the RMD field 7 is the total number of the number of “R zone inundesignated state (Invisible R Zone)”, the number of “Open R Zones” andthe number of “Complete R Zones” set logically in user data recordablerange. Next, the number information of the first “Open R Zone”, and thenumber information of the second “Open R Zone” are recorded. However, asdescribed above, three or more of “Open R Zones” cannot be included inthe recordable range 205 of the user data, and therefore, “1” or “0”(when the first or the second Open R zone does not exist) is recordedhere. Next, the start position information and the end positioninformation of the first “Complete R Zone” are described in physicalsector number. Subsequently, the start position information and the endposition information from the second to the 254th are sequentiallyrecorded in physical sector number.

Form the RMD field 8 on, the start position information and the endposition information from the 255th are sequentially described inphysical sector number, and it is possible to write the information upto the RMD field 15 (up to 2047 Complete R Zones at the maximum) at themaximum in accordance with the number of “Complete R Zones”.

An outline of conversion procedure of constructing the ECC block fromthe data frame structure in which the user data of 2048 bytes unit isrecorded, adding a synchronous code, and thereafter, forming a physicalsector structure for recording in the information storage medium will beshown in FIGS. 34A to 34C. This conversion procedure is adopted incommon in all of the reproduction-only information storage medium, therecordable information storage medium and the rewritable informationstorage medium. In accordance with the respective conversion stages,they are called a data frame (Data Frame), a frame after scramble(scrambled frame), recording frame (Recording Frame), or recorded datafield (Recorded Data Field). The data frame is where the user data isrecorded, and is constituted of main data of 2048 bytes, data ID of 4bytes, ID error detection code (IED) of 2 bytes, reserved bytes(Reserved Bytes) RSV of 6 bytes, and error detection code (EDC) of 4bytes.

Initially, after IED (ID error detection code) is added to the data IDwhich will be described later, reserved bytes of 6 bytes and main dataof 2048 bytes are added, and after the error detection code (EDC) isfurther added, scramble for the main data is executed.

Here, Cross Reed-Solomon Error Correction Code is applied to 32 of dataframes which are scrambled (scrambled frames), and ECC encode processingis executed. Thereby, the recording frame is constructed. This recordingframe includes an outer parity code (Parity of Outer-code) PO, and aninner parity code (Parity of Inner-code) PI. PO and PI are errorcorrection codes made for each ECC block constituted of 32 scrambledframes.

The recording frame is subjected to ETM (Eight to Twelve Modulation) forconverting 8 data bits into 12 channel bits as described above. Thesynchronous code (Sync Code) SYNC is added to the head every 91 bytes,and 32 physical sectors are formed. As described in the right frame inFIG. 34C, the characteristic of this embodiment lies in that one errorcorrection unit (ECC block) is constituted of 32 sectors ((H2) in FIG.2).

As will be described later, the numbers from “0” to “31” in therespective frames in FIG. 38 or FIG. 39 indicate the numbers of therespective physical sectors, and one large ECC block is constituted by32 physical sectors from “0” to “31” in total.

In the next generation DVD, it is demanded that accurate information canbe reproduced in error correction processing when a flaw of about thesame length as the current generation DVD is made on the informationstorage medium surface. In the embodiment of the present invention,recording density is enhanced with the aim of increase in capacity. As aresult, in the case of the conventional one ECC block=16 sectors, thelength of the physical flaw correctable by error correction is shorterthan as compared with the conventional DVD. By providing the structureof constituting one ECC block by 32 sectors as in the embodiment of thepresent invention, the effect of being capable of elongating thetolerance length of the flaw on the information storage medium surfacecapable of error connection, and securing compatibility of ECC blockstructure/format continuity of the current DVD is provided.

FIG. 35 shows the structure in the data frame. One data frame is 2064bytes constituted of 172 bytes×2×6 rows, in which main data of 2048bytes is included.

FIG. 36A shows examples of the initial value which is given to the feedback shift register when the frame after scrambling is created, and FIG.36B shows the circuit configuration of the feed back shift register forcreating scramble byte. r7 (MSB) to r0 (LSB) shifts by eight bits andused as scramble bytes. As shown in FIG. 36A, 16 kinds of preset valuesare prepared in this embodiment. The initial preset number in FIG. 36Aequals to 4 bits (b7 (MSB) to b4 (LSB)) of the data ID. At the time ofstart of scramble of the data frame, the initial values of r14 to r0have to be set at the initial preset values of the Table in FIG. 36A.The same initial preset value is used for 16 consecutive data frames.Next, the initial preset value is switched, and the same switched presetvalue is used for 16 consecutive data frames.

The lower 8 bits of the initial values of r7 to r0 are taken out asscramble byte S0. Thereafter, 8-bit shift is performed, then thescramble byte is taken out, and such operation is repeated 2047 times.

FIG. 37 shows the ECC block structure in this embodiment. The ECC blockis formed by 32 consecutive scrambled frames. 192 rows+16 rows aredisposed in the vertical direction, and (172+10)*2 lines are disposed inthe horizontal direction. Each of B0, 0, B1,0, . . . is 1 byte. PO andPI are error correction codes, and are an outer parity and an innerparity respectively. In this embodiment, the ECC block structure usingthe product code is constructed. Namely, the data to be recorded in theinformation storage medium is two-dimensionally disposed, and as theerror correcting overhead bit, PI (Parity in) is added to the “line”direction, and PO (Parity out) is added to the “row” direction. Byconstructing the ECC block structure using the product code like this,high error correction ability by erasure correction and vertical andhorizontal repeating correction processing can be ensured.

The ECC block structure shown in FIG. 37 has the characteristic in thatPIs are set at two spots in the same “line” unlike the ECC blockstructure of the conventional DVD. Namely, PI of 10-byte size describedin a centre in FIG. 37 is added to 172 bytes disposed at the left sideof it. Namely, for example, PI of 10 bytes from B0,172 to B0,181 isadded as PI to the data of 172 bytes from B0, 0 to B0, 171, and PI of 10bytes from B1, 172 to B1, 181 is added as PI to the data of 172 bytesfrom B1,0 to B1,171. PI of 10 byte size described at the right end inFIG. 37 is added to 172 bytes disposed at the center at its left side.Namely, PI of 10 bytes from B0, 354 to B0,363 as PI is added to the dataof 172 bytes from B0.182 to B0,353, for example.

FIG. 38 shows a frame arrangement explanatory view after scramble. (6rows×172 bytes) unit is dealt as a frame after one scramble. Namely, oneECC block is constituted of consecutive 32 frames after scramble.Further, in this system, (block 182 bytes×207 bytes) is dealt as a pair.When L is affixed to the number of the frame after each scramble of theECC block at the left side, and R is affixed to the number of the frameafter each scramble of the ECC block at the right side, the frames afterscramble are disposed as shown in FIG. 38. Namely, the left and rightframes after scramble alternately exist at the left side block, and theframes after scramble alternately exist at the right side block.

Namely, the ECC block is formed by 32 consecutive frames after scramble.Each row of the odd-numbered sector at the left side is exchanged withthe row at the right side. 172×2 bytes×192 rows equals to 172 bytes×12rows×32 scrambled frames, and is the data area. PO of 16 bytes is addedto each of 172×2 lines to form the outer code of RS (208, 192, 17). PI(RS (182, 172, 11)) of 10 bytes is added to each of 208×2 lines of leftand right blocks. PI is also added to the line of PO. The numerals inthe frames indicate the scrambled frame numbers, and R and L of thesuffixes mean the right side half and the left side half of thescrambled frame.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the same data frameis distributively disposed in a plurality of small ECC blocks (FIG. 2[H]). More specifically, in this embodiment, one large ECC block isconstituted of two small ECC blocks, and the same data frame isdistributively disposed alternately in two small ECC blocks ((H1) inFIG. 2). In the explanation in FIG. 37, it is already described that PIof 10-byte size described at the center is added to 172 bytes disposedat its left side and PI of 10 bite-size described at the right end isadded to 172 bytes disposed at the center at its left side. Namely, thesmall ECC block at the left side is constructed by the 172 bytes fromthe left end of FIG. 37 and PI of 10 bytes continuing from the 172bytes, and the small ECC block is constructed by the 172 bytes at thecenter and PI of 10 bytes at the right end of the 172 bytes. The mark ineach frame in FIG. 38 is set corresponding to this. For example, “2-R”in FIG. 38 shows the data frame number and which of left and right smallECC blocks it belongs to (for example, this belongs to the small ECCblock at the right side in the second data frame).

As will be described later, in each physical sector finally constructed,the data in the same physical sector is distributively disposed in theleft and right small ECC blocks alternately (the left half column inFIG. 39 is included in the small ECC block at the left side, and theright half column is included in the small ECC block at the right side).

When the same data frame is distributively disposed in a plurality ofsmall ECC blocks (FIG. 1 [H]), reliability of recorded data can beenhanced by enhancing the ability of correcting error of the data in thephysical sector (FIG. 39). For example, the case where overwriting onthe recorded data occurs due to deviation of track at the time ofrecording, and data of one physical sector is broken is considered. Inthe embodiment of the present invention, the error in the broken data inone sector is corrected by using two small ECC blocks. Therefore, theburden of error correction in one ECC block is reduced, and errorcorrection with high performance is ensured. In the embodiment of thepresent invention, the data ID is disposed at the head position of eachsector after formation of the ECC block, and therefore, verifying ofdata position at the access time can be performed at high speed.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory view of an interleaving method of PO. As shownin FIG. 39, 16 parity rows are distributed one by one. Namely, each of16 parity rows is disposed to every two recording frames. Accordingly,the recording frame constituted of 12 rows becomes 12 rows+one row.After the row interleave is performed, 13 row×182 bytes are referred toas the recording frame. Accordingly, the ECC block after row interleaveis performed is constituted of 32 recording frames. In one recordingframe, six rows exist in each of right and left side blocks as explainedin FIG. 38. PO is disposed to be located at different positions in theleft block (182×208 bytes) and the right block (182×208 bytes).

In FIG. 39, one completed ECC block is shown. However, at the time ofreproducing actual data, such ECC blocks continuously come to the errorcorrection processing unit. In order to enhance the correctingperformance of such error correction processing, the interleaving methodas shown in FIG. 39 is adopted.

The physical sector structure is shown in FIG. 40. (a) in FIG. 40 showsthe even-numbered physical sector structure, and (b) in FIG. 40 showsthe odd-numbered data structure. In FIG. 40, information of the outerparity PO shown in FIG. 39 is inserted in the sync data field in thelast two sync frames (namely, the portion in which the portion where thelast synch code is SY3 and the sync data just after it, and the portionwhere the sync code is SY1 and the sync data just after it are aligned)in both of the even recorded data field and the odd recorded data field.

A part of PO at the left side shown in FIG. 38 is inserted into thespots of the final two sync frames in the even recorded data filed, anda part of PO at the right side shown in FIG. 38 is inserted into thefinal two sync frame spots in the odd recorded data field. As shown inFIG. 38, one ECC block is constructed by the left and right small ECCblocks, and the data of different PO groups (PO belonging to the leftsmall ECC block or PO belonging to the right small ECC block) arealternately inserted for each sector. Both of the even-numbered physicalsector structure shown in (a) of FIG. 40, and the odd-numbered datastructure shown in (b) in FIG. 40 are divided into two by the centerline. “24+1092+24+1092 channel bits” at the left side of them isincluded in the small ECC block at the left side shown in FIG. 37 orFIG. 38, and “24+1092+24+1092 channel bits” at the right side isincluded in the small ECC block at the right side shown in FIG. 37 orFIG. 38.

When the physical sector structure shown in FIG. 40 is recorded in theinformation storage medium, it is serially recorded by each row.

Accordingly, when the channel bit data of the even-numbered physicalsector structure shown in (a) in FIG. 40, for example, is recorded inthe information storage medium, the data of 2232 channel bits to berecorded first is included in the small ECC block at the left side, andthe data of 2232 channel bits to be recorded next is included in thesmall ECC bock at the right side. The data of 2232 channel bits to befurther recorded next is included in the small ECC block at the leftside.

On the other hand, when the channel bit data of the odd-numbered datastructure shown in (b) in FIG. 40 is recorded in the information storagemedium, the data of 2232 channel bits to be recorded first is includedin the small ECC block at the right side, and the data of 2232 channelbits to be recorded next is included in the small ECC block at the leftside. The data of 2232 channel bits to be further recorded next isincluded in the small ECC block at the right side.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the same physicalsector is made to alternately belong to two small ECC block every 2232channel bits ((H1) in FIG. 2). Expressing this in another way, thephysical sector is formed in the form of distributively disposing thedata included in the small ECC block at the right side and the dataincluded in the small ECC block at the left side alternately for every2232 channel bits and is recorded in the information storage medium. Asa result, there arises the effect of being capable of providing thestructure strong against burst error. For example, the burst error statein which a long flaw occurs in the circumferential direction of theinformation storage medium and the data of more than 172 bytes becomesunreadable is considered. Since the burst error of more than 172 bytesof this case is distributively disposed in two small ECC blocks, theburden of error correction in one ECC block is reduced, and errorcorrection with higher performance is ensured.

The characteristic lies in that the data structure in the physicalsector differs depending on whether the physical sector number of thephysical sector constituting one ECC block is even number or odd number((H3) in FIG. 1), as shown in FIG. 40. Namely, the data structure is inthe following structure of 1) and 2). 1) Small ECC block (right side orleft side) to which the initial 2232 channel-bit data of the physicalsector belongs differs. 2) The data of different PO group is alternatelyinserted for each sector.

As a result, the structure in which the data IDs are disposed at thehead positions of all the physical sectors is ensured even after the ECCblock is constructed, and therefore, data position verification at thetime of access can be performed at high speed. The structure becomesmore simple by adopting the PO insertion method as shown in FIG. 39 thanby mixedly inserting the POs belonging to different small ECC blocks inthe same physical sector. As a result, information extraction at eachsector after error correction processing in the information producingapparatus is facilitated, and organization processing of the ECC blockdata in the information recording and reproducing apparatus can besimplified.

As the method for realizing the above described content concretely, thestructure in which the interleave/insertion position of the PO differsin the left and right ((H4) in FIG. 2). The portions shown by the narrowdouble lines, or the portions shown by the narrow double lines and slashlines in FIG. 39 indicate the interleave/insertion position of POs. POsare inserted at the end of the left side in the even-numbered physicalsector number and at the end of the right side in the odd-numberedphysical sector number, respectively. By adopting this structure, thestructure in which the data ID is disposed at the head position of thephysical sector even after the ECC block is constructed. Therefore, dataposition verification at the time of access can be performed at highspeed.

Examples of the concrete pattern contents from the sync codes “SY0” to“SY3” shown in FIG. 40 are shown in FIG. 41. This embodiment has threestates from State 0 to State 2 corresponding to the modulation rule (thedetailed explanation will be made later). Four kinds of sync codes fromSY0 to SY3 are set, and the sync code is selected from the left andright groups in FIG. 41 in accordance with each state. In the currentDVD standard, RLL (2, 10) (Run Length Limited: d=2, k=10: the smallestvalue is 2, the largest value is 10 in the range where “0” continues insuccession) of 8/16 modulation (8 bits are converted into 16 channelbits) is adopted as the modulation method, and four states from State 1to State 4 and 8 kinds of sync codes from SY0 to SY7 are set formodulation. As compared with this, in this embodiment, the kind of synccodes is decreased. In the information recording and reproducingapparatus or the information reproducing apparatus, the type of synccode is identified by the pattern matching method at the time ofreproducing information from the information storage medium. By reducingthe kind of sync codes dramatically as in this embodiment, the targetpattern required for matching can be decreased. As a result, not onlythe processing efficiency is enhanced by simplifying required processingfor pattern matching, but also recognition speed can be enhanced.

In FIG. 41, the bit (channel bit) shown by “#” expresses the DSV(Digital Sum Value) control bit. The above described control bit isdetermined to suppress the DC component (the value of DSV approaches“0”) by the DSV controller as will be described later. It is also thecharacteristic of this embodiment that the polarity inversion channelbit “#” is included in the sync code (FIG. 2 [I]). Including the framedata fields (fields of 1092 channel bits in FIG. 40) at both sides withthe above described sync codes therebetween, the value of “#” can beselected to be “1” or “0” so that DSV value macroscopically approach“0”, and the effect of being capable of performing DSV control from themacroscopic point of view is provided.

The sync code in this embodiment is constituted of the following (1) to(4) as shown in FIG. 41.

(1) Synchronous Position Detecting Code Part

This has a common pattern in all sync codes, and forms the fixed coderegion. By detecting this code, the position of the sync code can bedetected. More specifically, this means the region of “010000 000000001001” of the final 18 channel bits in each sync code in FIG. 41.

(2) Conversion Table Selection Code Part at the Time of Modulation

This forms a part of a variable code region, and is a code which changescorresponding to the State number at the time of modulation. The first 1channel bit in FIG. 41 corresponds to this. Namely, when any of State 1and State 2 is selected, the first one channel bit becomes “0” in any ofthe codes from SY0 to SY3. On the other hand, at the time of selectingState 0, the first one channel bit of the sync code becomes “1”.However, the first one channel bit of SY3 in the State 0 becomes “0” asan exception.

(3) Sync Frame Position Identifying Code Part

This is the code for identifying the respective kinds from SY0 to SY3 inthe sync codes, and constitutes a part of the variable code region. Thechannel bit part from the first to sixth channel bits in each sync codein FIG. 41 corresponds to this. As will be described later, from acontinuing pattern of every three sync codes detected in succession, therelative position in the same sector can be detected.

(4) DC Suppressing Polarity Inversion Code Part

The channel bit at the position “#” in FIG. 41 corresponds to this, andthe bit at this position inverts or non-inverts, whereby the DSV valueof the channel bit string including the frame data before and after itmoves to be close to “0” as described above.

In this embodiment, 8/12 modulation (ETM: Eight to Twelve Modulation),and RLL (1, 10) are adopted as the modulation method. Namely, 8 bits areconverted into 12 channel bits at the time of modulation, and the rangein which “0” continues in succession after conversion is set so that theminimum value (d value) is 1 and the maximum value (k value) is 10. Inthis embodiment higher density than the prior art can be achieved bysetting d=1, but it is difficult to obtain sufficiently largereproduction signal amplitude at the maximum density mark.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the information recording and reproducingapparatus of this embodiment has the PR equalizing circuit 130 and theViterbi decoder 156, and uses the technique of PRML (Partial ResponseMaximum Likelihood) to make very stable signal reproduction possible.Since k=10 is set, eleven or more of “0”s do not continue in successionin general modulated channel bit data. By utilizing this modulationrule, in the above described synchronous position detecting code unit,such a pattern as not appear in general modulated channel bit data isgiven.

Namely, as shown in FIG. 41, 12 (=K+2) of “0”s continue in succession inthe synchronous position detecting code unit. In the informationrecording and reproducing apparatus or the information reproducingapparatus, the position of the synchronous position detecting code unitis detected by finding this part. If too many “0”s continue insuccession, a bit shift error easily occurs. Therefore, in order torelieve the harmful effect, in the synchronous position detecting codeunit, a pattern with a small number of continuing “0”s is disposedimmediately after it. In this embodiment, d=1, and therefore, it ispossible to set “101” as the corresponding pattern. However, asdescribed above, it is difficult to obtain sufficiently largereproduction signal amplitude at the position of “101” (the position ofthe maximum density pattern), and therefore, “1001” is disposed instead,and the pattern of the synchronous position detecting code unit as shownin 41 is adopted.

This embodiment is characterized in that 18 channel bits at the rearside in the sync code are independently set as (1) synchronous positiondetecting code part, and 6 channel bits at the front side are shared tobe used as (2) conversion table selection code part at the time ofmodulation, (3) synch frame position identifying code part, and (4) DCsuppressing polarity inversion code part, as shown in FIG. 41. Thesynchronous position detection accuracy is enhanced by facilitatingindividual detection by making (1) synchronous position detecting codepart independent in the sync code. The 6 channel bits are shared by thecode parts (2) to (4), thereby providing the effect of decreasing thedata size of the entire sync code (channel bit size), and enhancing theoccupancy rate of the sync data to enhance the substantial dataefficiency.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that among four kinds ofsync codes shown in FIG. 41, only SY0 is disposed at the first syncframe position in the sector as shown in FIG. 40. As the effect of this,the head position in the sector can be instantly determined only bydetecting SY0, and head position extraction processing in the sector isextremely simplified.

There is also provided the characteristic that the combination patternsof continuing three sync codes are all different in the same sector.

In this embodiment, a common modulation method which will be explainedbelow is adopted in all of the reproduction-only type/recordabletype/rewritable type information storage media.

8-bit data word in the data field is converted into channel bit on thedisc by the 8/12 modulation (ETM: Eight to Twelve Modulation) method.The channel bit string converted by the ETM method satisfies theconstraint of run length of RLL (1, 10) that the channel bit 1b is apartby at least 1, and 10 channel bits at the maximum.

Modulation is performed by using the code conversion table shown inFIGS. 46 to 51. The conversion table shows each of data words “000h” to“FFh”, and 12 channel bits of the code word corresponding to each ofStates 0 to 2, and States of the next data words.

The configuration of the modulation block is shown in FIG. 42.X(t)=H{B(t), S(t)}S(t+1)=G{B(t), S(t)}

H represents a code word output function, and G represents a next Stateoutput function.

Some 12 channel bits in the code conversion table include asterisk bit“*” and sharp bit “#” as well as “0b” and “1b”.

The asterisk bit “*” in the code conversion table indicates that the bitis a merging bit. Some code words in the conversion table have themerging bits at LSB. The merging bit is set at any one of “0b” and “1b”by the code connector in accordance with the channel bit followingitself. When the following channel bit is “0b”, the merging bit is setat “1b”. When the following channel bit is “1b”, the merging bit is setat “0b”.

The sharp bit “#” in the conversion table indicates that the bit is aDSV control bit. The DSV control bit is determined by performing DCcomponent suppressing control by the DSV controller.

Concatenation rule for the cord word shown in FIG. 43 is used forconcatenating the code words obtained from the cord table. When theadjacent two code words correspond to the pattern shown as the previouscode word and the current code word in the table, these code words arereplaced with the concatenation code word shown in the table. “?” bit isany one of “0b”, “1b” and “#”. “?” bits in the concatenation code wordare not replaced, but are assigned as the previous code word and thecurrent code word.

Concatenation of the code words is applied at the previous concatenationpoint first. The concatenation rule in the table is applied in thesequence of index at each concatenation point. Some code words arereplaced twice for connecting the preceding code word and the subsequentcode word. The merging bit of the preceding code word is determinedbefore pattern matching for concatenation. The DSV control bit “#” ofthe previous code word, or the current code word is dealt as a specialbit after and before code connection. The DSV control bit is not “0b” or“1b”, but “?”. The concatenation rule of the code words is not used forconnecting a code word to a sync code. The concatenation rule shown inFIG. 44 is used for connection of a code word and a sync code.

At the time of modulation of a recording frame, a sync code isinterposed at the head of each modulation code word of the data word of91 bytes. Modulation starts from State 2 after the sync code, themodulation code word is sequentially outputted to the head of eachconversion code word as MSB, and is subjected to NRZI conversion beforerecorded in the disc.

The sync code is determined by performing DC component suppressioncontrol.

The DC component suppression control (DCC: DC component suppressioncontrol) minimizes the absolute value of accumulated DSV (digital sumvalue: addition is performed with “1b” set at +1, and “0b” set at −1) inthe NRZI conversion modulation channel bit stream.

DCC algorithm controls selection of a code word and a sync code for eachof the following cases (a) and (b) so that the absolute value of DSV isminimized.

(a) Selection of sync code (see FIG. 41)

(b) Selection of DSV control bit “#” of concatenation code word

Selection is determined in accordance with the value of the accumulatedDSV at the position of each DSV bit of the concatenation code word andsync code.

The DSV as the basis of calculation is added as the initial value of 0at the time of starting modulation, and addition continues sequentiallyfrom that time on until the modulation is finished, but the DSV is notreset at zero. The starting point of selection of the DSV control bit isthe DVS control bit, the channel bit stream to minimize the absolutevalue of the DSV is selected just before the next DSV control bit. Outof two channel bit streams, the one with a smaller absolute value of DSVis selected. If the absolute values of the DSVs of two channel bitstreams are the same, the DSV control bit “#” is set as “0b”.

Considering maximum DSV in the calculation of scenario with logicalpossibility, the range of DVS calculation needs to be at least ±2047.

A demodulation method will be explained hereinafter.

A demodulator converts the code word of 12 channel bits into the dataword of 8 bits. The code word is reproduced by using the detachment ruleshown in FIG. 45 from the read bit stream. When the adjacent two codewords agree to the pattern of the detachment rule, these code words arereplaced with the current code word and the subsequent code word shownin the table. “?” bit is any of “0b”, “1b” and “#”. The “?” bits of thecurrent code word and the subsequent code word are not replaced, butassigned as they are in the read code word.

The border of the sync code and the code word is detached without beingreplaced.

Conversion from the code word into the data word is carried out inaccordance with the demodulation table shown in FIGS. 52 to 61. All thecode words with possibility are described in the demodulation table. “z”may be any data word of “0h” to “FFh”. The detached current code word isdecoded by observing 4 channel bits of the next code word, or thepattern of the next sync code.

Case 1: The next code word starts with “1b”, or the next sync code isSY0 to SY2 of State 0.

Case 2: The next code word starts with “0000b”, or the next sync code isSY3 of State 0.

Case 3: The next code word starts with “01b”, “001b” and “001b”, or thenext sync code is SY0 to SY3 of State 1 and 2.

The pattern content of the reference code recorded in the reference coderecording zone RCZ shown in FIG. 21 will be explained in detail.

In the current DVD, the “ 8/16 modulation” method for converting 8-bitdata into 16 channel bits is adopted as the modulation method, and therepetition pattern of “00100000100000010010000010000001” is used as thereference code pattern as a channel bit string which is recorded in theinformation storage medium after modulation.

As compared with this, in this embodiment, the ETM modulation formodulating 8-bit data to 12 channel bits is used, the run lengthconstraint of RLL (1, 10) is performed, and the PRML method is used forsignal reproduction from the data lead-in area DTLDI, the data area DTA,the data lead-out area DTLDO and the middle area MDA. Accordingly, it isnecessary to set the optimal pattern of the reference code for the abovedescribed modulation rule and PRML detection. In accordance with the runlength constraint of RLL (1, 10), the minimum value of succession of “0”is “d=1”, which results in the repetition pattern of “10101010”. Whenthe distance from the code of “1” or “0” to the next adjacent code isset at “T”, the distance between the adjacent “1”s in the abovedescribed pattern is “2T”.

For densification of the information storage medium, the reproductionsignal from the repetition pattern (“10101010”) of “2T” which isrecorded on the information storage medium is in the vicinity of cutofffrequency of the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) characteristic ofthe objective lens (exists in the information recording and reproducingunit 141 in FIG. 5) in the optical head as described above in thisembodiment. Therefore, modulation degree (signal amplitude) is hardlyobtained.

Accordingly, when the reproduction signal from the repetition pattern(“10101010”) of “2T” is used as the reproduction signal used for circuitadjustment of the information reproducing apparatus or the informationrecording and reproducing apparatus (for example, initial optimizationof each tap coefficient performed in the tap controller in FIG. 9), itlacks stability with large influence of noise.

Accordingly, it is desirable to perform circuit adjustment for thesignal after modulation performed in accordance with the run lengthconstraint of RLL (1, 10) by using the pattern of “3T” with the nexthighest density.

When the DSV (Digital Sum Value) value of the reproduction signal isconsidered, the absolute value of the DC (direct current) valueincreases in proportion to the number of successions of “0” between “1”and the next “1” which comes directly after the “1”, and the DC value isadded to the immediately preceding DSV value. The polarity of the DCvalue which is added is inverted each time “1” comes.

Accordingly, as the method for making the DSV value “0” where thecontinuous channel bit string continues in the reference code, themethod which will be described next increases the degree of freedom ofthe reference code pattern design more than the method of setting sothat the DSV value is “0” in the 12 channel bit string after ETMmodulation. Namely, the number of occurrences of “1” to the 12 channelbit string after ETM modulation is made an odd number, and the DCcomponent occurring in a set of reference code cell constituted of 12channel bits is cancelled off by the DC component occurring to thereference code cell of 12 channel bits of the next set. This increasesthe degree of freedom of reference code pattern design more.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, the number of “1”s which appear in thereference code cell constituted of 12 channel bit string after ETMmodulation is set at an odd number. In this embodiment, the mark edgerecording method in which the position of “1” corresponds to the recordmark or the border position of the embossed pit is adopted fordensification. For example, when the repetition pattern of “3T”(“100100100100100100100”) continues, and the length of the record marksor the embossed pits, the length of the space between them sometimesdiffer a little in accordance with the recording condition or themastering condition. When using the PRML detection method, the levelvalue of the reproduction signal is very important, and in order to beable to detect signal with stability and high precision even when thelength of the record marks and embossed bits and the length of the spacetherebetween differs a little as described above, it becomes necessaryto correct the little difference in terms of circuit.

Accordingly, accuracy of adjustment of the circuit constant is enhancedmore with the presence of the record mark or the embossed pit of thelength of “3T” and the space of the length of the same “3T” as thereference cord for adjusting the circuit constant. Therefore, when thepattern of “1001001” is included inside as the reference code pattern ofthis embodiment, the record mark or the embossed pit and the space ofthe length of “3T” are always disposed. For circuit adjustment, not onlythe pattern (“10010011”) with high density, but also a pattern with lowdensity is needed. Accordingly, considering that a low density state(pattern in which many continuous “0”s occur) is generated in the partexcept for the pattern of “1001001” in the 12 channel bit string afterETM modulation, and that the number of occurrences of “1” is set at anodd number, the repetition of “100100100000” becomes the optimalcondition as the reference code pattern as shown in FIG. 62. In order tomake the channel bit pattern after modulation the above describedpattern, it is necessary to set the data word before modulation at “A4h”from FIG. 59 when using the aforementioned modulation table. The data of“A4h” (sexadecimal notation) corresponds to the data symbol “164”(decimal notation).

The method of creating a concrete data in accordance with the abovedescribed data conversion rule will be explained. First, the data symbol“164” (=“0A4h”) is set to the main data (“D0 to D2047”) in the abovedescribed data frame structure. Next, the data frame 1 to data frame 15are pre-scrambled in advance with the initial preset number “0Eh”, andthe data frame 16 to the data frame 31 are pre-scrambled in advance withthe initial preset number “0Fh”. When pre-scramble is performed inadvance, scramble is doubly performed when scramble is performed inaccordance with the above described data conversion rule, (when the datais doubly scrambled, it returns to the original pattern) the data symbol“164” (=“0A4h”) appears as it is. If all the reference codes constitutedof 32 physical sectors are pre-scrambled, the DSV control cannot beperformed, and therefore, only the data frame 0 is not pre-scrambled inadvance. The pattern shown in FIG. 62 is recorded on the informationstorage medium when modulation is performed after the above describedscramble is performed.

The state in which the channel bit data having the structure in onephysical sector shown in FIG. 40 are continuously recorded in theinformation storage medium 221 is shown in FIG. 63. In this embodiment,the channel bit data which is recorded on the information storage medium221 has the hierarchic structure of the record data as shown in FIG. 63irrespective of the kinds (reproduction-only type/recordabletype/rewritable type) of the information storage medium 221. Namely, oneECC block 401 that is the largest data unit, by which the errordetection or error correction of the data is possible, is constituted of32 physical sectors 230 to 241.

As is already explained in FIG. 40, and as shown in FIG. 63 again, thesync frames #0 420 to #25 429 are constituted of 24 channel bit dataforming any sync code (sync code 431) from “SY0” to “SY3”, and the syncdata 432 having 1092 channel bit data size disposed between therespective sync codes. Each of the physical sectors 230 to 241 isconstituted of 26 sync frames #0 420 to #25 429. As described above, onesync frame includes the data of 1116 channel bits (24+1092) as shown inFIG. 40, the sync frame length 433 which is the physical distance on theinformation storage medium 221 where one sync frame is recorded issubstantially constant everywhere (when the change amount of thephysical distance for intra-zone synchronization is excluded).

Comparison of data recording modes (Format) of the respective kinds ofinformation storing media in this embodiment will be explained. (a) inFIG. 64 shows the data recording modes in the conventionalreproduction-only information storage medium DVD-ROM, the conventionalrecordable information storage medium DVD-R and the conventional DVD-RW,(b) in FIG. 64 shows the data recording mode of the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium in this embodiment, (c) in FIG. 64 shows thedata recording mode of the recordable information storage medium in thisembodiment, and (d) in FIG. 64 shows the data recording mode of therewritable information storage medium. For comparison, the sizes of theECC blocks 411 to 418 are made to be the same. However, one ECC block isconstituted of 16 physical sectors in the conventional reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium DVD-ROM, the conventional recordableinformation storage medium DVD-R and conventional DVD-RW shown in (a) inFIG. 64, and this embodiment shown in (b) to (d) in FIG. 64 differs fromthem in the point that one ECC block is constituted of 32 physicalsectors. It is the characteristic of this embodiment that guard fields442 to 448 each of the same length as the sync frame length 433 areprovided between the respective ECC blocks #1 411 to #8 418 (FIG. 3 [K])as shown in (b) to (d) in FIG. 64. In the conventional reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium DVD-ROM, the respective ECC blocks #1 411 to#8 418 are recorded continuously as shown in (a) in FIG. 64.

The conventional recordable information storage medium DVD-R and theconventional DVD-RW have the problem that when recording or rewritingprocessing called restricted overwrite is performed in order to ensurecompatibility of the data recording mode (format) with the conventionalreproduction-only information storage medium DVD-ROM, a part of the ECCblock is broken by overwriting and data reliability at the time ofreproduction is seriously impaired.

On the other hand, by disposing the guard fields 442 to 448 between thedata fields (ECC blocks) as in this embodiment, the effect that theoverwriting place is limited to the guard fields 442 to 448 and datacorruption of the data field (ECC block) can be prevented is provided.

Another characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the length ofeach of the above described guard fields 442 to 448 is set at the syncframe length 433 which is one sync frame size as shown in FIG. 64 ((K1)in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 40 and FIG. 63, the synch codes are disposed at thefixed sync frame length 433 of 1116 channel bits, and in the sync codeposition detecting unit 145 shown in FIG. 5, the sync code position isextracted by utilizing this fixed intervals. By setting the length ofeach of the guard fields 442 to 448 at the sync frame length 433 in thisembodiment, the sync frame interval can be kept constant even if theguard areas 442 to 448 are spanned at the time of reproduction.Therefore, the effect of facilitating detection of sync code position atthe time of reproduction is provided.

Further, with the purpose of the following 1) and 2), the sync codes(sync data) is disposed in the guard field in this embodiment ((K2) inFIG. 1).

1) Even in the place across the guard fields 442 to 448, frequency ofoccurrence of the sync code is made consistent, and detection accuracyof detection of the sync code position is enhanced.

2) Determination of the position in the physical sector including theguard fields 442 to 448 is facilitated.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 65C, a postamble field 481 is formedat the start position of each of the guard fields 442 to 468, and thesync code “SY1” of the sync code number “1” shown in FIG. 41 is disposedin the postamble field 481.

As is known from FIG. 40, the combinations of the sync numbers of threecontinuing sync codes in the physical sector differ in all places.Further, the combinations of the sync numbers of the three continuingsync codes with the sync code number “1” took into consideration in theguard fields 442 to 448 also differ in all places. Accordingly, bycombination of sync code number of three continuing sync codes in anoptional field, not only the position information in the physicalsector, but also discrimination of the position in the physical sectorincluding the place of the guard fields becomes possible.

The detailed structure in the guard fields 441 to 448 shown in FIG. 64is shown in FIG. 65C. It is shown in FIG. 63 that the structure in thephysical sector is constituted of the combination of the sync codes 431and the sync data 432. The characteristic of the present invention liesin that the guard fields 441 to 448 are also constituted of thecombinations of the sync codes 433 and the sync data 434, and that thedata which is modulated in accordance with the same modulation rule asthe sync data 432 in the sector is also disposed in the sync data 434field in the guard field #3 443. The field in the one ECC block #2 412constituted of 32 physical sectors shown in FIG. 37 is called a datafield 470 in the present invention.

VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator) areas 471 and 472 in FIG. 65C areused for synchronizing the reference clock of the informationreproducing apparatus or the information recording and reproducingapparatus when the data field 470 is reproduced. As the data contentwhich is recorded in the fields 471 and 472, continuous repetition ofdata “7Eh” before modulation in the common modulation rule which will bedescribed later is cited, and the channel bit pattern after modulationwhich is actually recorded is the repetition pattern of “010001 000100”(the pattern in which continuation of three “0”s is repeated). In orderto obtain this pattern, it is necessary to set the head bytes of the VFOfields 471 and 472 in the state of State 2 in modulation.

Pre-sync fields 477 and 478 express the border positions between theabove described VFO fields 471 and 472 and the data field 470, and therecord channel bit pattern after modulation is the repetition of “100000100000” (the pattern in which continuation of five “0” is repeated). Inthe information reproducing apparatus or the information recording andreproducing apparatus, the pattern change positions of the repetitionpatterns of “10000 100000” in the pre-sync fields 477 and 478 aredetected from the repetition patterns of “10001 000100” in the VFOfields 471 and 472, and getting near to the data field 470 isrecognized.

Postamble field 481 expresses the end position of the data field 470 andalso expresses the start position of the guard field 443. The pattern inthe postamble field 481 corresponds to the pattern of “SY1” among thesync codes (SYNC Codes) shown in FIG. 41 as described above.

Extra field 482 is a field which is used for copy control and preventionof unauthorized copy. When the extra field 482 is not specially used forcopy control and prevention of unauthorized copy, all channel bits areset at “0”.

The data which is recorded in the buffer field is continuous repetitionof data “7Eh” before modulation as in the VFO fields 471 and 472, andthe channel bit pattern after modulation which is actually recorded isthe repetition pattern of “010001 000100” (the pattern in whichcontinuous three “0”s is repeated). In order to obtain this pattern, itis necessary to set the head bytes of the VFO fields 471 and 472 at thestate of “State 2” in modulation.

As shown in FIG. 65C, the postamble field 481 in which the pattern of“SY1” is recorded corresponds to the sync code field 433, and the fieldsfrom the extra field 482 immediately after the postamble field 481 tothe pre-sync field 478 correspond to the sync data field 434. The fieldsfrom the VFO field 471 to the buffer field 475 (fields including thedata field 470 and part of the guard fields before and after the datafield 470) are called a data segment 490 in the present invention, andthe data segment 490 shows a different content from the “physicalsegment” which will be described later. The data size of each data shownin FIG. 65C is expressed by the number of bytes of the data beforemodulation.

The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the structureshown in FIG. 65C, but the following method can be adopted as anotherembodiment. Namely, instead of disposing the pre-sync field 477 at theborder portion of the VOF field 471 and the data field 470, the pre-syncfield 477 is disposed at a midpoint between the VOF fields 471 and 472in FIG. 65C.

In another embodiment, distance correlation is taken to be large byincreasing the distance between the sync code “SY0” disposed at the headposition of the data block 470 and the pre-sync field 477, and thepre-sync field 477 is set as a temporary Sync and is utilized as thedistance correlation information of the real Sync position (thoughdifferent from the distance from the other Sync). If the real Synccannot be detected, Sync is placed at the position where the real Syncwhich is generated from the temporary Sync will be detected. Thecharacteristic of the other embodiment lies in that the pre-sync field477 is spaced by some distance from the real sync (“SY0”) in thismanner. If the pre-sync field 477 is disposed at the beginning of theVFO fields 471 and 472, the role of pre-sync is weakened since the PLLof read clock is not locked. Accordingly, it is desirable to dispose thepre-sync field 477 in the intermediate position between the VFO fields471 and 472.

In this embodiment, the address information in the recordable(rewritable or recordable) information storage medium is recorded inadvance by using wobble modulation.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the phase modulationof ±90 degrees (180 degrees) is used as the wobble modulation method,and the address information is recorded in advance by adopting the NRZ(Non Return to Zero) method (FIG. 2 [J]). Concrete explanation will bemade by using FIG. 66. In the embodiment of the present invention, oneaddress bit (also called an address symbol) field 511 is expressed by 4wobble cycles concerning the address information, and the frequencies,amplitudes and phases are respectively consistent everywhere in oneaddress bit field 511. When the same value continues as the value of theaddress bit, the same phase continues at the border portion (portionwith “symbol Δ (triangle)” affixed in FIG. 66) of each one address bitfield 511. When the address bit is inverted, inversion of the wobblepattern (shift of 180 degrees of the phase) occurs. In the wobble signaldetection unit 135 of the information recording and reproducingapparatus shown in FIG. 5, the border position of the above describedaddress bit field 511 (place with “symbol Δ (triangle)” affixed in FIG.66) and a slot position 512 which is a border position of one wobblecycle are simultaneously detected.

A PLL (Phase Lock Loop) circuit not shown is incorporated in the wobblesignal detection unit 135, and PLL is carried out in synchronism withboth the border position and the slot position 512 of the abovedescribed address bit field 511. When the border position or the slotposition 512 of this address bit field 511 deviates, synchronism isdeviated in the wobble signal detection unit 135 and it becomesimpossible to reproduce (read) an accurate wobble signal. The intervalbetween the adjacent slot positions 412 is called a slot interval 513,and as the slot interval 513 becomes physically shorter, synchronism ofthe PLL circuit is more easily taken, and it becomes possible toreproduce (read the information content) the wobble signal stably. As isobvious from FIG. 66, when the phase modulation method of 180 degreeswhich shifts to 180 degrees or 0 degree is adopted, this slot interval513 corresponds to one wobble cycle.

The AM (Amplitude Modulation) method which changes the wobble amplitudeas the wobble modulation method is susceptible to dust and flaw attachedon the information storage medium surface. However, in the abovedescribed phase modulation, a change in phase is detected instead of thesignal amplitude, and therefore, the phase modulation method is hardlyinfluenced by dust and flaw on the information storage medium surfacecomparatively. As another modulation method, in the FSK (Frequency ShiftKeying) method which changes frequency, the slot interval 513 is longwith respect to the wobble cycle, and synchronism of the PLL circuit isrelatively difficult to take. Accordingly, when the address informationis recorded by the phase modulation of wobble as in this embodiment, theslot interval is small, and therefore, the effect of easily takingsynchronism of the wobble signal is provided.

As shown in FIG. 66, the binary data of “1” or “0” is assigned to oneaddress bit field 511, an assigning method of bit in this embodiment isshown in FIG. 67. As shown in the left side of FIG. 67, the wobblepattern which firstly meanders to the outer circumferential side fromthe start position of one wobble is called NPW (Normal Phase Wobble),and is assigned with data of “0”. As shown in the right side, the wobblepattern which firstly meanders to the inner circumferential side fromthe start position of one wobble is called IPW (Invert Phase Wobble) andis assigned with data of “1”.

Comparison of the wobble dispositions and recording places in therecordable information storage medium and the rewritable informationstorage medium in this embodiment will be outlined by using FIG. 68 andFIG. 69. (a) in FIG. 69 shows the wobble disposition and the record mark107 formation place in the recordable information storage medium, and(b) and (c) in FIG. 69 shows the wobble disposition and the formationplace of the record mark 107 in the rewritable information storagemedium. In FIG. 69, the lateral direction is reduced, and thelongitudinal direction is extended as compared with the actual enlargedview. A CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) method is adopted in therecordable information storage medium as shown in FIG. 68 and (a) inFIG. 69, and the slot position between the adjacent tracks and theborder position of the address bit field (portion shown by the dashedline in FIG. 69) are deviated (in some places). The record mark 107 isformed on grooves areas 501 and 502. In this case, the wobble positionbetween the adjacent tracks is asynchronous, and therefore, interferenceof the wobble signal between the adjacent tracks occurs. As a result,displacement of the slot position detected from the wobble signal in thewobble signal detection unit 135 in FIG. 5 and the displacement of theborder position of the address bit field easily occur. In order toovercome the technically difficult point, occupancy rate of themodulation area is lowered ((J2) in FIG. 2) as will be described later,and thereby, the modulation areas between the adjacent tracks aredisplaced ((J5) in FIG. 3) in this embodiment.

On the other hand, in the rewritable information storage medium, “theland/groove recording method” which forms the record marks 107 in boththe land area 503 and the groove areas 501 and 502 is adopted as shownin FIG. 68 and (b) in FIG. 69, and Zoned CAV (Zoned Constant AngularVelocity) that is the zone recording method which divides the data areainto 19 zones from 0 to 18 as shown in FIG. 17 and synchronizes thewobbles between the adjacent tracks in the same zone is adopted. In therewritable information storage medium in this embodiment, a largecharacteristic lies in that “the land/groove recording method” isadopted and the address information is recorded in advance by wobblemodulation ((J4) in FIG. 3).

When “the groove recording method” which records the record marks 107 inonly the groove areas 501 and 502 is adopted as shown in (a) in FIG. 69,if the recording is performed by shortening the track pitch which is thedistance between the adjacent groove areas 501 and 502, the reproductionsignal from the record mark 107 recorded on the one groove area 501 hasthe influence (crosstalk between the adjacent tracks) from the recordmark 107 recorded on the adjacent groove area 502. Therefore, the trackpitch cannot be shortened very much and thus, the recording density islimited.

As compared with this, when the record marks 107 are recorded on boththe groove areas 501 and 502 and the land area 503 as shown in (b) inFIG. 69, if the level difference between the groove areas 501 and 502and the land area 503 is set at λ/(5n) to λ/(6n) (λ: wavelength of theoptical head light source utilized in reproduction, n: refractive indexof the transparent substrate of an information storage medium in theaforesaid wavelength), there arises the phenomenon in which thecrosstalk between the adjacent areas (land and groove) is cancelled offeven if the track pitch is shortened. By utilizing this phenomenon, thetrack pitch can be shortened more with “land/groove recording method”than with “the groove recording method”, and the recording capacity asthe information storage medium can be increased.

If it is desired to have access to a predetermined position on theinformation storage medium in an unrecorded state (the state before therecord marks 107 are recorded) with high accuracy, it is necessary torecord address information on the information storage medium in advance.If this address information is recorded in advance in the form ofembossed pit, it is necessary to form the record marks by avoiding theembossed pit area, and the recording capacity decreases by the amount ofthe embossed pit area.

As compared with this, by recording the address information by wobblemodulation as in the rewritable information storage medium of thisembodiment ((J4) in FIG. 3), the record mark 107 can be formed on thearea subjected to wobble modulation, and therefore, high recordingefficiency is obtained, thus increasing the recording capacity. Byadopting “the land/groove recording method” and recording the addressinformation in advance by wobble modulation as described above, therecord mark 107 can be recorded with high efficiency, and the recordingcapacity as the information storage medium can be enhanced.

In accordance with the user demand that the recording capacity of arecordable information storage medium corresponds to the that of areproduction-only information storage medium, the recording capacitiesof the recordable information storage medium and the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium correspond to each other as known from thecomparison of the columns of “the recording capacity usable by user” inFIG. 18 and FIG. 19. Accordingly, capacity as large as that of therewritable information storage medium is not needed, and therefore, therecordable information storage medium adopts “the groove recordingmethod” as shown in (a) in FIG. 69.

In the method shown in (b) in FIG. 69, the slot positions and the borderpositions (the portion shown by the dashed line in FIG. 69) of theaddress bit areas between the adjacent tracks are all correspond to eachother, and therefore, interference of the wobble signals between theadjacent tracks does not occur. Instead, an indefinite bit area 504occurs. In (c) in FIG. 69, the case where the address information of“0110” is recorded by wobble modulation in the upper groove area 501 isconsidered. When the address information of “0010” is recorded by wobblemodulation in the lower groove area 502 next, the indefinite bit area504 in the land shown in (c) in FIG. 69 occurs. The width of the landchanges in the indefinite bit area 504 in the land, which is in thestate where a wobble detection signal cannot be obtained from here. Inorder to eliminate this technical difficulty, a gray code ((J4β) in FIG.2) is adopted in this embodiment as will be described later, and anindefinite bit area is also formed in the groove area by locallychanging the width of the groove area ((J4γ) in FIG. 2), and theindefinite bits are distributively disposed in both the land area andgroove area ((J4δ) in FIG. 2).

The point of this embodiment lies in that considering occurrence of theabove described indefinite bit area 504, “the land/groove recordingmethod” is used, and the wobble phase modulation of 180 degrees (±90degrees) is incorporated in the wobble modulation for recording theaddress information ((J4α) in FIG. 3). When an indefinite bit occurs onthe land as a result of changing the track number on the groove in the“L/G record+wobble modulation of the groove”, there arises the problemthat the entire level of the reproduction signal from the record markrecorded thereon changes and the error rate of the reproduction signalfrom the record mark there locally increases. However, the wobblemodulation for the groove is performed by the phase modulation of 180degrees (90 degrees) as in this embodiment, and thereby, the land widthchanges in the form of bilateral symmetry and sine wave in theindefinite bit position on the land. Therefore, the entire level changeof the reproduction signal from the record mark is in the very gentleshape close to the sine wave shape. When tracking is further performedstably, the indefinite bit position on the land can be estimated inadvance. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the structure in whichthe reproduction signal quality is easily improved by performingcorrection processing in terms of circuit for the reproduction signalfrom the record mark can be realized.

By using FIG. 68, and FIGS. 70A and 70B, the address information whichis recorded in advance by using wobble modulation in the recordableinformation storage medium and the rewritable information storage mediumwill be explained. FIG. 70A shows the address information content andthe setting method of the address in the recordable information storagemedium. FIG. 70B shows the address information content in the rewritableinformation storage medium and the setting method of its address. As forthe detailed content, the physical recording place unit on theinformation storage medium is called “a physical segment block” in bothof the recordable information storage medium and rewritable informationstorage medium, and the unit of data to be recorded (as a channel bitstring) is called “a data segment”. The data of one data segment isrecorded in the area of one physical segment block length (the physicallength of one physical segment block agrees to one data segment lengthwhen being recorded on the information storage medium). One physicalsegment block is constituted of seven physical segments. The user dataof one ECC block shown in FIG. 37 is recorded in one data segment.

As shown in FIG. 68, since the “groove recording method” is adopted inCLV in the recordable information storage medium, the data segmentaddress number Da is utilized as shown in FIG. 70A as the addressinformation on the information storage medium. This data segment addressmay be called ECC block address (number), and physical segment blockaddress (number). In order to further obtain detailed positioninformation in the same data segment address Da, the physical segmentsequence Ph is owned as the address information. Namely, each physicalsegment position on the recordable information storage medium isspecified by the data segment address Da and the physical segmentsequence Ph. The data segment address Dais assigned with the numbersfrom the inner circumferential side along the groove areas 501, 502, 507and 505 in the ascending order, and as for the physical segment sequencePh, numbers from “0” to “6” are repeatedly set from the innercircumferential side to the outer circumference.

In the rewritable information storage medium, the data area is dividedinto 19 zones as shown in FIG. 17. Since the grooves are connected inthe spiral shape, the length of one circumference of each of theadjacent tracks differs from each other between the adjacent tracks, andthe length of the difference between the adjacent tracks is set for eachzone to be within ±4 channel bits when the length of the channel bitinterval T is made equal everywhere. The border positions of thephysical segments or the physical segment blocks agree to each other(synchronize) between the adjacent tracks in the same zone.

Accordingly, the position information of the rewritable informationstorage medium is given in the zone address (number) Zo, track address(number) Tr, and the physical segment address (number) Ph as shown inFIG. 68 and FIG. 70B. The track address Tr expresses the track numberfrom the inner circumference to the outer circumference in the samezone, and the same track address number Tr is set for a set of theadjacent land area and groove area (for example, the set of the landarea 503 and the groove area 502, and the set of the land area 507 andthe groove area 505).

The indefinite bit area 504 frequently appears in the part of “Ph=0” and“Ph=1” of the land area 507 in FIG. 70B, and therefore, it becomesimpossible to decode the track address Tr. Therefore, recording of therecord mark 107 in this area is prohibited. The physical segment address(number) Ph expresses the relative physical segment number in onecircumference of the same track, and the number of the physical segmentaddress Ph is assigned with the switching position of the zone in thecircumferential direction as the reference. Namely, the start number ofthe physical segment address Ph is set at “0” as shown in FIG. 70B.

The recording form of the address information using wobble modulation inthe recordable information storage medium in the embodiment of thepresent invention will be explained by using FIG. 71. The addressinformation setting method using wobble modulation in this embodimenthas the large characteristic in that “assignment is performed with thesync frame length 433 as the unit” shown in FIG. 64. As shown in FIG.40, one sector is constituted of 26 sync frames, and one ECC block isconstituted of 32 physical sectors as known from FIG. 34C. Therefore,one ECC block is constituted of 26×32=832 sync frames. Since the lengthof each of the lengths of the guard fields 442 to 468 existing betweenthe ECC blocks 411 to 418 agrees to one sync frame length 433, andtherefore, the length of one guard area field 462 and one ECC block 411being added up is constituted of 832+1=833 sync frames.

Since 833 can be factorized into prime numbers as (1), the structure anddisposition which take advantage of this characteristic is adopted.833=7×17×7  (1)

Namely, as shown in (a) in FIG. 71, the area of which length equals tothe lengths of one guard field and one ECC block added up is defined asa data segment 531 as the basic unit of the rewritable data (thestructures in the data segments 490 shown in FIG. 65C agree to eachother irrespective of the reproduction-only information storage medium,the rewritable information storage medium and the recordable informationstorage medium), and the area of the same length as the physical lengthof one data segment 531 is divided into “seven” physical segments #0 550to #6 556 ((K3ε) in FIG. 4)), and the address information is recorded inadvance in the form of wobble modulation for each of the physicalsegments #0 550 to #6 556. As shown in FIG. 71, the border position ofthe data segment 531 and the border position of the physical segment 550do not agree to each other, but is deviated by the amount which will bedescribed later.

Further, each of physical segments #0 550 to #6556 is divided into 17wobble data units (WDU: Wobble Data Unit) #0 560 to #16 576 ((J1) inFIG. 2, (c) in FIG. 71). It can be known that seven sync frames areassigned to the length of each of the wobble data units #0 560 to #16576 from the expression (1). The physical segment is constituted of 17wobble data units in this manner ((J1) in FIG. 1), and the length of theseven physical segments is conformed to the data segment length ((K3ε)in FIG. 4), whereby the sync frame border is secured in the range acrossthe guard fields 442 to 468 and detection of the sync code 431 (FIG. 63)is facilitated. In the rewritable information storage medium, an errorof the reproduction signal from the record mark easily occurs in theplace of the indefinite bit area 504 (FIG. 69). However, since thenumber of physical sectors 32 constituting the ECC block and the numberof physical segments 7 are in the relationship in which they areindivisible by each other (non-multiple relationship), the data recordedin the indefinite bit area 504 is prevented from being arranged on thestraight line in the ECC block shown in FIG. 37, and the effect of beingcapable of preventing reduction of the error correction ability in theECC block can be also provided.

Each of the wobble data units #0 560 to #16 576 is constituted of amodulation area with 16 wobbles and non-modulation areas 590 and 591each with 68 wobbles as shown in (d) in FIG. 71. This embodiment has alarge characteristic that occupancy ratio of the non-modulation areas590 and 591 to the modulation area is made large to a large degree ((J2)in FIG. 3). The groove area or the land area always wobbles at aconstant frequency in the non-modulation areas 590 and 591. Therefore,PLL (Phase Locked Loop) is performed by utilizing this non-modulationareas 590 and 591, it is made possible to stably extract (generate) areference clock at the time of reproducing the record mark recorded inthe information storage medium and the recording reference clock at thetime of newly recording.

The occupancy ratio of the non-modulation areas 590 and 591 to themodulation area is made significantly large in this embodiment, theaccuracy and extraction (generation) stability of extraction(generation) of the reproducing reference clock or extraction(generation) of the recording reference clock can be enhancedremarkably. Namely, when the phase modulation in the wobble isperformed, if the reproduction signal is passed through the band passfilter for waveform shaping, the phenomenon that the detection signalwaveform amplitude after shaping becomes small appears before and afterthe phase change point. Accordingly, there arises the problem that whenthe frequency of the phase change point by phase modulation becomeshigh, the waveform amplitude variation increases and the above describedclock extraction accuracy reduces, while when the frequency of the phasechange point in the modulation area is low on the other hand, bit shiftat the time of detection of wobble address information tends to occur.Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the effect ofenhancing the above described clock extraction accuracy is provided byconstituting the modulation area by the phase modulation and thenon-modulation area, and making the occupancy rate of the non-modulationarea high.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the switching position ofthe modulation area and the non-modulation area can be estimated inadvance. Therefore, the signal of only the non-modulation area isdetected by gating the non-modulation area for the above described clockextraction, and the above described clock extraction can be performedfrom the detection signal.

When shifting to the modulation area from the non-modulation areas 590and 591, the modulation start marks 581 and 582 are set by using 4wobbles, so that the wobble address areas 586 and 587 which aremodulated in wobble come immediately after the modulation start marks581 and 582 are detected. In order to actually extract a wobble addressinformation 610, the wobble sync area 580 and each of the wobble addressareas 586 and 587 in each of the physical segments #0 550 to #6 556except for the non-modulation areas 590 and 591 and the modulation startmarks 581 and 582 as shown in (d) in FIG. 71 are collected and disposedagain as shown in (e) in FIG. 71.

As shown in (d) in FIG. 71, in each of the wobble address areas 586 and587, three address bits are set with 12 wobbles ((J2α) in FIG. 3).Namely, continuous four wobbles constitute one address bit. In thismanner, this embodiment takes the structure in which the addressinformation is distributively disposed every three address bits ((J2α)in FIG. 3). If the wobble address information 610 is intensivelyrecorded at one spot in the information storage medium, it becomesdifficult to detect all information when dust or a flaw attaches to thesurface. As shown in (d) in FIG. 71, the wobble address information 610is distributively disposed at every three address bits (12 wobbles)included in each of the wobble data units 560 to 576, and a sizableamount of information is recorded in every address bits which are anintegral multiple of three address bits. Therefore, there is providedthe effect of making it possible to detect information of the otherinformation when information detection of one spot is difficult due toinfluence of dust or a flaw.

As described above, by distributively disposing the wobble addressinformation 610, and by conclusively disposing the wobble addressinformation 610 for each of the physical segments 550 to 557 ((J1α) inFIG. 2), the address information can be known for each of the physicalsegments 550 to 557. Therefore, when the information recording andreproducing apparatus accesses the medium, the current position can beknown by the physical segment unit.

In this embodiment, the NRZ method is adopted as shown in FIG. 66, andtherefore, the phase does not change in the continuous 4 wobbles in thewobble address areas 586 and 587. By utilizing this characteristic, thewobble sync area 580 is set. Namely, by setting the wobble pattern whichis difficult to generate in the wobble address information 610 is set inthe wobble sync area 580 ((J3) in FIG. 3), position discrimination ofthe wobble sync area 580 is facilitated. The embodiment of the presentinvention has the characteristic in that in contrast to the wobbleaddress areas 586 and 587 in which continuous four wobbles constituteone address bit, one address bit length is set at the length other thanfour wobbles at the position of the wobble sync area 580. Namely, in thewobble sync area 580, the wobble pattern change such as “6 wobbles→4wobbles→6 wobbles” which is different from 4 wobbles and which cannotoccur in the wobble address areas 586 and 587 is set in the area wherewobble bit is “1”.

By utilizing the method of changing the wobble cycle ((J3α) in FIG. 3)as described above as the concrete method for setting the wobble patternwhich cannot occur in the wobble address areas 586 and 587 for thewobble sync area 580, the following effects 1 and 2 are provided.

1. Wobble detection (determination of a wobble signal) can be continuedstably without breakage of the PLL concerning the slot position 512(FIG. 66) of the wobble performed in the wobble signal detection unit135 in FIG. 5.

2. The detection of the wobble sync area 580 and the modulation startmarks 561 and 582 can be easily detected by the deviation of the addressbit border position performed in the wobble signal detection unit 135 inFIG. 5.

As shown in (d) in FIG. 71, the characteristic of this embodiment liesin that the wobble sync area 580 is formed of 12 wobble cycles and thelength of the wobble sync area 580 is conformed to the length of threeaddress bits ((J3β) in FIG. 3). Thereby, all the modulation areas (16wobbles) in one wobble data unit #0 560 are assigned to the wobble syncare 580, and thereby, detection easiness of the start position(placement position of the wobble sync area 580) of the wobble addressinformation 610 is enhanced.

As shown in (c) in FIG. 71, the wobble sync area 580 is disposed in theinitial wobble data unit #0 560 in the physical segment #0 550. Bydisposing the wobble sync area 580 at the head position in the physicalsegment #0 550 ((J3γ) in FIG. 3) in this manner, there arises the effectof being capable of easily extracting the border position of thephysical segment by only detecting the position of the wobble sync area580.

The modulation start marks 581 and 582 are disposed at the head positionprior to the wobble address areas 586 and 587 in the wobble data units#1 561 and #2 562, and the waveform of IPW shown in FIG. 67 is set. Inthe non-modulation areas 590 and 591 disposed at the position prior tothis, consecutive waveform of NPW is set. In the wobble signal detectionunit 135 shown in FIG. 5, the switching point from NPW to IPW isdetected, and the positions of the modulation start marks 581 and 582are extracted.

As shown in (e) in FIG. 71, the content of the wobble addressinformation 610 is expressed by the following 1 to 5.

1. Track Addresses 606 and 607

These addresses mean the track numbers in the zone, and the groove trackaddress 606 of which address is defined on the groove area (indefinitebit is not included →indefinite bit occurs on the land), and the landtrack address 607 of which address is defined on the land (indefinitebit is not included →indefinite bit occurs on the groove) arealternately recorded. Concerning only the track addresses 606 and 607,the track number information is recorded in the gray code shown in FIG.72 (details will be described later)

2. Physical Segment Address 601

This is the information showing the physical segment number in the track(in one circumference in the information storage medium 221). The numberof physical segments in the same track is shown by the “number ofphysical segments per track” in FIG. 17. Accordingly, the maximum valueof the physical segment address 601 in each zone is specified by thenumber shown in FIG. 17.

3. Zone Address 602

This shows the zone number in the information storage medium 221 and thevalue of “n” of “Zone (n)” shown in FIG. 17 is recorded.

4. Parity Information 605

This is the thing set for error detection at the time of reproductionfrom the wobble address information 610, and is the information ofadding up 14 address bits from the reserved information 604 to the zoneaddress 602 in each address bit unit individually, and displayingwhether the addition result is odd number or even number. The value ofthe parity information 605 is set so that the result of taking theExclusive OR in each address bit unit with respect to the total of 15address bits including one address bit of this address parityinformation 605 becomes “1”.

5. Unity Area 608

The content of each of the wobble data units #0 560 to #16 576 is set tobe constituted of the modulation area of 16 wobbles and thenon-modulation areas 590 and 591 each with 68 wobbles as describedabove, and the occupancy ratio of the non-modulation areas 590 and 591to the modulation area is made significantly large. Further, theoccupancy ratio of the non-modulation areas 590 and 591 is made large,and thereby, accuracy and stability of the extraction (generation) ofthe reproducing reference clock or the recording reference clock arefurther enhanced.

The place which includes a unity area 608 shown in (e) in FIG. 71corresponds to the wobble data unit #16 576 in (c) in FIG. 71 and thewhole of the wobble data unit #15 just before it though not shown. Inthe monotone information 608, all of 6 address bits are “0”. Therefore,the modulation start marks 581 and 582 are not set in the wobble dataunit #16 576 including the monotone information in which all are NPWsand the wobble data unit #15 directly before it though not shown, andall of them are the non-modulation area with uniform phase.

The number of address bits assigned to each of the above describedinformation is shown in (e) in FIG. 71.

As described above, the wobble address information 610 is separatedevery three address bits and is distributively disposed in the wobbledata units 560 to 576. Even if a burst error occurs due to dust or aflaw on the surface of the information storage medium, the probabilityof an error spreading across the different wobble data units 560 to 576is very low. Therefore, as the place where the same information isrecorded, the number of times of spreading across different wobble dataunits is reduced as much as possible, and a contrivance is made toconform the break of each information to the border positions of thewobble data units 560 to 576. Thereby, even if specific informationcannot be read as a result that a burst error occurs doe to dust or aflaw on the surface of an information storage medium, the otherinformation recorded in each of the other wobble data units 560 to 576is made readable, and thereby, reproduction reliability of the wobbleaddress information is enhanced. More specifically, as shown in (e) inFIG. 71, nine address bits are assigned to the unity area 608, andthereby, the border position between the unity area 608 and a land trackaddress 607 immediately before it and the border position of the wobbledata unit are made to correspond to each other ((J3δ) in FIG. 3).

From the same reason, the zone address 605 expressed by five addressbits, and the parity information 605 expressed by one address bit aremade adjacent to each other ((J4ε) in FIG. 3), and thereby, the totalvalue of the address bits of both of them is made six address bits(corresponding to address bits of two wobble data units).

It is also the large characteristic of the embodiment of the presentinvention that the unity area 608 is disposed at the end in the wobbleaddress information 610 ((J3ε) in FIG. 3) as shown in (e) in FIG. 71. Asdescribed above, the wobble waveform becomes that of NPW in the unityarea 608, and therefore, NPW substantially continues in succession inthe three consecutive wobble data units 576. By utilizing thischaracteristic, there is provided the effect that the position of theunity area 608 disposed at the end of the wobble address information 610can be easily extracted by the wobble signal detection unit 135 in FIG.5 finding the place where NPW continues in succession by the length ofthree wobble data units 576, and the start position of the wobbleaddress information 610 can be detected by utilizing the positioninformation.

Among various kinds of address information shown in FIG. 71, FIG. 70B orFIG. 68, the physical segment address 601 and the zone address 602 showthe same values between the adjacent tracks, but the values of thegroove track address 606 and the land track address 607 change betweenthe adjacent tracks. Therefore, the indefinite bit area 504 shown in (c)in FIG. 69 appears in the area where the groove track address 606 andthe land track address 607 are recorded. In order to reduce theindefinite bit frequency, the address (number) is expressed by using thegray code of which example is shown in FIG. 72 as for the groove trackaddress 606 and the land track address 607 in this embodiment. The graycode means the code after conversion when the original value changes by“1” as in FIG. 72 changes by only “one bit” anywhere. Thereby, theindefinite bit frequency is reduced, and signal detection of not only awobble detection signal but also a reproduction signal from the recordmark can be stabilized.

The algorithm for concretely realizing gray code conversion shown inFIG. 72 is shown in FIG. 73. For the original binary code, the mostsignificant 11th bit is conformed to the 11th bit of the gray code asthey are. Concerning the lower codes from them, the result of adding(taking Exclusive OR) the binary code of “the mth bit” and the binarycode of “the m+1th bit” which is upper than it by one bit is convertedinto the gray code of “the mth bit”.

In this embodiment, the contrivance to distributively dispose theindefinite bit area in the groove area ((J4γ) in FIG. 3) is made. Morespecifically, by partially changing the widths of the groove areas 501and 502, the width of the land area 503 sandwiched therebetween is madeconstant from FIG. 74. The widths of the groove areas 501 and 502 can bechanged by locally changing the light amount of laser light for exposureat the point of time when the groove areas 501 and 502 are made in themaster recording apparatus for the information storage medium. Thereby,the land area is also given the area in which an indefinite bit does notenter and the track address is defined, and thereby, address detectionwith high accuracy is also made possible in the land area. Morespecifically, the land width is made constant by using the abovedescribed method in the place in the land area where the information ofthe land track address 607 in (e) in FIG. 71 is recorded. Thereby, theaddress information can be detected stably without inclusion of anindefinite bit concerning the land track address 607 in the land area.

In this embodiment, indefinite bits are distributively disposed ((J4σ)in FIG. 3) in both the land area and the groove area. More specifically,at the rightmost side in FIG. 74, the widths of the groove areas 501 and502 are changed to make the width of the land area 503 constant. At aslightly left side from the center of FIG. 74, the widths of the grooveareas 501 and 502 are kept constant, but the width of the land area 503locally changes. The groove width is made constant in the place in thegroove area where the information of the groove track address 606 isrecorded in (e) in FIG. 71 by utilizing this method. Therefore,concerning the groove track address 606 in the groove area, the addressinformation can be detected stably without inclusion of the indefinitebit. If indefinite bits are intensively disposed in either one of theland area or the groove area, the frequency at which the error detectionoccurs becomes very high at the time of reproduction of addressinformation at the part where the indefinite bits are intensivelydisposed. The risk of error detection is distributed by distributivelydisposing the indefinite bits in the land area and the groove area, andthe system which facilitates to stably detect the address informationtotally can be provided. The area where the track address is definedwithout inclusion of the indefinite bits can be estimated in advance ineach of the land area and groove area by distributively disposingindefinite bits in both the land area and the groove area like this, andtherefore, track address detection accuracy is enhanced.

As already explaining by using FIG. 68, the record mark is formed on thegroove area and the CLV recording method is adopted in the recordableinformation storage medium of this embodiment. It is already describedthat in this case, the wobble slot positions are displaced between theadjacent tracks, and therefore, interference between the adjacentwobbles is easily exerted on the wobble reproduction signal. In order toremove this influence, a contrivance to shift the modulation area ((J5)in FIG. 3) is made so that the modulation areas of the adjacent tracksdo not overlap each other in this embodiment.

More specifically, it is made possible to set a primary position 701 anda secondary position 702 in the position of the modulation area as shownin FIG. 75. Basically, the method in which all the modulation areas aretemporarily disposed at the primary position as the placement position,and if there arises the place where the modulation areas partiallyoverlap each other between the adjacent tracks, the modulation area ispartially shifted to the secondary position. For example, when themodulation area of the groove area 505 is set at the primary position inFIG. 75, the modulation area of the adjacent groove area 502 and themodulation area of the groove area 506 partially overlap each other, andtherefore, the modulation area of the groove area 505 is shifted to thesecondary position. Thereby, interference between the modulation areasof the adjacent tracks in the reproduction signal from the wobbleaddress is prevented, and the effect of being capable of reproducing thewobble address stably can be provided.

The concrete primary position and the secondary position concerning themodulation area are set by switching the positions in the same wobbledata unit. In this embodiment, the occupancy rate of the non-modulationarea is set higher than that of modulation area ((J2) in FIG. 3), andtherefore, switching of the primary position and the secondary positioncan be performed by only changing the position in the same wobble dataunit. Thereby, the same placement of the physical segments 550 to 557and placement of the wobble data units 560 to 576 as shown in (b) and(c) in FIG. 71 as in the rewritable information storage medium alsobecomes possible in the recordable information storage medium, andcompatibility with different kinds of media can be enhanced. Morespecifically, in the primary position 701, the modulation area 598 isdisposed at the head position in each of the wobble data units 560 to571 as shown in (a) and (c) in FIG. 76. In the secondary position 702,the modulation area 598 is disposed at the latter half position in eachof the wobble data units 560 to 571 as shown in (b) and (d) in FIG. 76.

In the recordable information storage medium of this embodiment, thefirst three address bits of the wobble address information 610 areutilized for the wobble sync area 580 and are recorded in the wobbledata unit #0 560 disposed initially in each of the physical segments 550to 556 as in the rewritable information storage medium in (e) in FIG.71. The modulation area 598 shown in each of (a) and (b) in FIG. 76shows the wobble sync area 580. The initial IPW areas in the modulationarea 598 in (c) and (d) in FIG. 76 correspond to the modulation startmarks 581 and 582 shown in (d) in FIG. 71. The address bits #2 to #0 inthe modulation areas 598 in (c) and (d) in FIG. 76 correspond to thewobble address areas 586 and 587 shown in (d) in FIG. 71.

The characteristic of this embodiment lies in that the wobble syncpatterns in the wobble sync areas are changed in the primary position701 and the secondary position 702 ((J5β) in FIG. 3). In (a) in FIG. 76,as the wobble sync pattern of the wobble sync area 580 which is themodulation area 598, six wobbles (cycles) are assigned to each IPW andfour wobbles (cycles) are assigned to NPW. On the other hand, in themodulation area 598 in (b) in FIG. 76, the number of wobbles (wobblecycles) which are assigned to each IPW is 4, but six wobbles (cycles)are assigned to NPW. In the wobble signal detection unit 135 in FIG. 5,by only detecting the difference in the wobble sync pattern immediatelyafter rough access, the position of the modulation area (the differencebetween the primary position 701 and the secondary position 702) isknown, and it is easy to estimate the place of the modulation area to bedetected next in advance. Therefore, preparation for detection of themodulation area to come next can be made in advance, and therefore,signal detection (discrimination) accuracy in the modulation area can beenhanced.

Other examples except for the examples shown in (a) and (b) in FIG. 76are shown in (b) and (d) in FIG. 77 concerning the relationship betweenthe position of the modulation area and the wobble sync pattern. Forcomparison, the example of (a) in FIG. 76 is shown in (a) in FIG. 77 andthe example shown in (b) in FIG. 76 is shown in (c) in FIG. 77. In (b)and (d) in FIG. 77, the numbers of wobbles which are assigned to the IPWand the NPW in the modulation area 598 are made opposite to those in (a)and (c) in FIG. 77 (four wobbles are assigned to the IPW and six wobblesare assigned to the NPW).

The application range of the primary position 701 and the secondaryposition 702 shown in FIG. 76 and FIG. 77, namely, the range in whichthe primary position or the secondary position continues in successionis defined to be the range of the physical segment in this embodiment.Namely, as shown in FIG. 78, three kinds (plurality of kinds) from (a)to (c) of disposition patterns of the modulation area in the samephysical segment are given ((J5α) in FIG. 1), the wobble signaldetection unit 135 in FIG. 5 identifies the disposition pattern of themodulation area in the physical segment from the wobble sync pattern orthe information of the type identification information 721 of thephysical segment which will be described later as described above,whereby the position of the other modulation area 598 in the samephysical segment can be estimated in advance. As a result, detection ofthe modulation area to come next can be prepared in advance, andtherefore, the effect of being capable of enhancing signal detection(discrimination) accuracy in the modulation area is provided.

In FIG. 78, the second stage shows the disposition of the wobble dataunit in the physical segment, and the number described in each frame inthe second stage shows the wobble data unit number in the same physicalsegment. The 0th wobble data unit is called a sync field 711 as shown inthe first stage, and the wobble sync area exists in the modulation areain the sync field. The first to the eleventh wobble data units are eachcalled an address field 712, and the address information is recorded inthe modulation area in this address field 712. The twelfth to thesixteenth wobble data unit is a unity field 713 in which all the wobblepatterns are NPW.

Marks “P” described in the third stage and thereafter in FIG. 78 showthat the modulation area is at the primary position in the wobble dataunit, and marks “S” shows that the modulation area in the wobble dataunit is at the secondary position. The mark “U” shows that the wobbledata unit is included in the unity field 713 and the modulation areadoes not exist. The disposition pattern of the modulation area shown in(a) in FIG. 78 shows that the entire physical segment becomes theprimary position, while the disposition pattern of the modulation areashown in (b) in FIG. 78 shows that the entire physical segment becomesthe secondary position. In (c) of FIG. 78, the primary position and thesecondary position are mixed in the same physical segment, themodulation area becomes the primary position in the 0th to the fifthwobble data units, and the modulation area becomes the secondaryposition in the sixth to the eleventh wobble data units. As shown in (c)in FIG. 78, by disposing the primary positions and the secondarypositions half-and-half in the area with the sync field 711 and theaddress field 712 added up, and thereby, overlap of the modulation areasbetween the adjacent tracks can be finely prevented.

FIG. 79 shows an embodiment relating to a data structure in wobbleaddress information of a recordable type information recording medium.FIG. 79(a) shows a data structure in wobble address information of arewriteable type information recording medium for comparison. FIGS. 79(b) and (c) show two embodiments relating to data structures in wobbleaddress information of recordable type information recording mediums.

In wobble address area 610, 3 address bits is set with 12 wobble (seeFIG. 66). In other words, 1 address bit is constituted by 4 successivewobbles. In the embodiment, address information are distributivelydisposed every 3 address bits. If the wobble address information 610 isintensively recorded at one spot in the information storage medium, itbecomes difficult to detect all information when dust or a flaw attachesto the surface. In the embodiment, the wobble address information 610 isdistributively disposed at every three address bits (12 wobbles)included in each of the wobble data units 560 to 576, and a sizableamount of information is recorded in every address bits which are anintegral multiple of three address bits. Therefore, there is providedthe effect of making it possible to detect information of the otherinformation when information detection of one spot is difficult due toinfluence of dust or a flaw.

As described above, by distributively disposing the wobble addressinformation 610, and by conclusively disposing the wobble addressinformation 610 for each of the physical segments, the addressinformation can be known for each of physical segments. Therefore, whenthe information recording and reproducing apparatus accesses the medium,the current position can be known by the physical segment unit.

As for reference, in wobble address information 610 of rewritable typeinformation recording medium, the following information (1) to (4) arerecorded.

(1) Physical Segment Address 601

This is the information showing the physical segment number in the track(in one circumference in the information storage medium 221).

(2) Zone Address 602

This shows the zone number in the information storage medium 221.

(3) Parity Information 605

This is the thing set for error detection at the time of reproductionfrom the wobble address information 610, and is the information ofadding up 14 address bits from the reserved information 604 to the zoneaddress 602 in each address bit unit individually, and displayingwhether the addition result is odd number or even number. The value ofthe parity information 605 is set so that the result of taking theExclusive OR in each address bit unit with respect to the total of 15address bits including one address bit of this address parityinformation 605 becomes “1”.

(4) Unity Area 608

The content of each of the wobble data units is set to be constituted ofthe modulation area of 16 wobbles and the non-modulation areas 590 and591 each with 68 wobbles as described above, and the occupancy ratio ofthe non-modulation areas 590 and 591 to the modulation area is madesignificantly large. Further, the occupancy ratio of the non-modulationareas 590 and 591 is made large, and thereby, accuracy and stability ofthe extraction (generation) of the reproducing reference clock or therecording reference clock are further enhanced. In unity area 608, allNPW areas exist continuously and unity area 608 is non-modulation areaof uniform phase.

The number of address bits assigned to each of the above describedinformation is shown in (e) in FIG. 71. As described above, the wobbleaddress information 610 is separated every three address bits and isdistributively disposed in the wobble data units. Even if a burst erroroccurs due to dust or a flaw on the surface of the information storagemedium, the probability of an error spreading across the differentwobble data units is very low. Therefore, as the place where the sameinformation is recorded, the number of times of spreading acrossdifferent wobble data units is reduced as much as possible, and acontrivance is made to conform the break of each information to theborder positions of the wobble data units. Thereby, even if specificinformation cannot be read as a result that a burst error occurs doe todust or a flaw on the surface of an information storage medium, theother information recorded in each of the other wobble data units 560 to576 is made readable, and thereby, reproduction reliability of thewobble address information is enhanced.

It is also the large characteristic of the embodiment of the presentinvention that the unity area 608, 609 is disposed at the end in thewobble address information 610 as shown in (a)-(c) in FIG. 79. Asdescribed above, the wobble waveform becomes that of NPW in the unityarea 608, 609 and therefore, NPW substantially continues in successionin the three consecutive wobble data units 576. By utilizing thischaracteristic, there is provided the effect that the position of theunity area 608 disposed at the end of the wobble address information 610can be easily extracted by the wobble signal detection unit 135 in FIG.5 finding the place where NPW continues in succession by the length ofthree wobble data units 576, and the start position of the wobbleaddress information 610 can be detected by utilizing the positioninformation.

Among various kinds of address information shown in FIG. 79(a), thephysical segment address 601 and the zone address 602 show the samevalues between the adjacent tracks, but the values of the groove trackaddress 606 and the land track address 607 change between the adjacenttracks. Therefore, the indefinite bit area 504 appears in the area wherethe groove track address 606 and the land track address 607 arerecorded. In order to reduce the indefinite bit frequency, the address(number) is expressed by using the gray code as for the groove trackaddress 606 and the land track address 607 in this embodiment. The graycode means the code after conversion when the original value changes by“1” changes by only “one bit” anywhere. Thereby, the indefinite bitfrequency is reduced, and signal detection of not only a wobbledetection signal but also a reproduction signal from the record mark canbe stabilized.

As shown by FIG. 79(b)-79(c), in recordable type information recordingmedium as same as in rewritable type information recording medium,wobble sync area 680 is allocated at a starting position of physicalsegment to enable to easily detect a starting position of physicalsegment or a border position between adjacent physical segments. Thetype identifying information 721 of the physical segment shown in (b) inFIG. 79 shows the position of the modulation area in the physicalsegment as the wobble sync pattern in the aforementioned wobble syncarea 580. As a result, the position of the other modulation area 598 inthe same physical segment can be estimated in advance, and detection ofthe modulation area to come next can be prepared in advance, thusproviding the effect of being capable of enhancing signal detection(discrimination) accuracy in the modulation area.

The following is expressed in concrete.

When the type identifying information 721 of the physical segment is“0”, all the physical segments shown in (a) in FIG. 78 are the primarypositions, or are in the mixed state of the primary positions and thesecondary positions shown in (c) in FIG. 78.

When the type identifying information 721 of the physical segment is“1”, all the physical segments are the secondary positions as shown in(b) in FIG. 78.

As another example of the above described example, the position of themodulation area in the physical segment can be shown by the combinationof the wobble sync pattern and the type identifying information 721 ofthe physical segment ((J5δ) in FIG. 3). By combining the aforesaid twokinds of information, three or more kinds of position patterns of themodulation areas shown in (a) to (c) in FIG. 78 can be expressed, and aplurality of position patterns of the modulation areas can be given. Therelationship between a combination method of the wobble sync pattern andthe type identifying information of the physical segment in anotherexample and the position pattern of the modulation area is shown in FIG.80.

In FIG. 80,

A

shows the aforementioned combination, and shows the primary position orthe secondary position with the wobble sync pattern, and shows whetherall of the physical segment is at the secondary position with the typeidentifying information 721 of the physical segment (“1” when all of itis at the secondary position, and in the other cases, “0”). In the caseof

A

, and in the case of mixture, the wobble sync pattern in (a) of FIG. 77is recorded in the primary position, and the wobble sync pattern of (c)in FIG. 77 is recorded in the secondary position.

On the other hand, in the example of

B

, it is shown whether all positions in the physical segment agree toeach other, or are mixed (“1” in the case where all positions agree, and“0” in the case of mixture) with the type identifying information 721 ofthe physical segment.

In the example of

C

, it is shown whether all positions in the physical segment agree ormixed by the wobble sync pattern, and it is shown whether the secondarypositions exist or not in the physical segment with the type identifyinginformation 721 of the physical segment (“1” in the case where thesecondary position exists even partially, “0” in the other cases).

In the above described embodiment, the positions of the modulation areasin the physical segment in which the wobble sync area 580 and the typeidentifying information 721 of the physical segment are included areshown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and, forexample, as another example, the wobble sync area 580 and the typeidentifying information 721 of the physical segment may show theposition of the modulation area in the physical segment which will comenext. Thereby, in the case of continuously tracking along the groovearea, there arises the effect that the position of the modulation areain the next physical segment is known in advance, and the preparationtime for modulation area detection can be taken longer.

Layer number information 722 in the recordable information storagemedium shown in (b) in FIG. 79 shows which of the one side surface withone recording layer and the one side surface with two recording layersthe recording layer indicates, and means the following:

“0” means the “L0 layer” (front side layer at the laser light incidentside) in the case of the one side surface with one recording layermedium or one side surface with two recording layers.

“1” means “L1 layer” (back side layer of the laser light incident side)of the one side surface with two recording layers.

Physical segment sequence information 724 shows the position sequence ofthe relative physical segments in the same physical segment block asshown in FIG. 68, FIGS. 70A and 70B. As is obvious by comparing with (a)in FIG. 79, the head position of the physical segment sequenceinformation 724 in the wobble address information 610 agrees to the headposition of the physical segment address 601 in the rewritableinformation storage medium. By conforming the physical segment sequenceinformation position to the rewritable type ((J5ε) in FIG. 3),compatibility with the different types of media is enhanced, andcommonality and simplification of the address detecting control programusing the wobble signal in the information recording and reproducingapparatus in which both a rewritable information storage medium and arecordable information recording medium can be used.

As explained with FIG. 68, and FIGS. 70A and 70B, the data segmentaddress 725 describes the address information of the data segment innumbers.

As is already explained, one ECC block is constituted by 32 sectors inthis embodiment. Accordingly, the lower 5 bits of the physical sectornumber of the sector disposed at the head in a specific ECC block agreesto the sector number of the sector disposed at the head position in theadjacent ECC block. When the physical sector number is set so that thelower 5 bits of the physical sector number of the sector disposed at thehead in the ECC block become “00000”, the higher values from the sixthlowest bits of the physical sector number of all the sectors existing inthe same ECC block agree to each other.

Accordingly, the lower 5-bit data of the physical sector number of thesector which exists in the above described same ECC block is removed,and the address information from which the data of the sixth lowest bitor higher is extracted is set as the ECC block address (or the ECC blockaddress number). The data segment address 725 (or the physical segmentblock number information) which is previously recorded by the wobblemodulation agrees to the above described ECC block address. Therefore,when the position information of the physical segment block by thewobble modulation is expressed by the data segment address, the dataamount decreases by 5 bits as compared with the case where the positioninformation is expressed by the physical sector number, and therefore,there arises the effect of simplifying the current position detection atthe time of access.

A CRC code 726 is the CRC code (error correction code) for 24 addressbits from the type identifying information 721 of the physical segmentto the data segment address 725. If the wobble modulation signal ispartially read erroneously, it can be partially corrected by this CRCcode 726.

Each of the address bits shown in the lowest stage in (b) of FIG. 79 isused for describing the information content. In the writable informationstorage medium, the area corresponding to the remaining 15 address bitsis assigned to the unity area 609, and five wobble data units from the12th to the 16th are all NPW (the modulation area 598 does not exist).

A method for recording the aforementioned data segment data into thephysical segment or the physical segment block in which the addressinformation is recorded in advance by wobble modulation explained abovewill be explained. In both of the rewritable information storage mediumand the recordable information storage medium, the data is recorded inthe recording cluster unit as the unit in which the data is continuouslyrecorded. The layout of the recording cluster is shown in FIG. 81. Ineach of the recording clusters 540 and 542, one or more (integer) ofdata segments 531 having the data structure shown in (a) in FIG. 71continues in succession, and at the head or the end of the data segments531, the extension guard fields 528 and 529 are set.

The extension guard fields 528 and 529 are set in the recording clusters540 and 542. They are for partially overwriting by physicallyoverlapping between the adjacent recording clusters so that a gap doesnot occur between the adjacent recording clusters, when data is newlyrecorded or rewritten in the unit of the recording clusters 540 and 542.As the positions of the extension guard fields 528 and 529 which are setin the recording clusters 540 and 542, the extension guard field 528 isdisposed at the end of the recording cluster 540 in the example in (a)in FIG. 81 ((K3γ) in FIG. 4).

In the case of using this method, the extension guard field 528 comesafter the postamble area 526 shown in (a) in FIG. 71. Therefore, thepostamble area 526 is not mistakenly broken at the time of rewritingespecially in the rewritable information storage medium, protection ofthe postamble area 526 at the time of rewriting can be performed, andreliability in position detection using the postamble area 526 at thetime of data reproduction can be secured. As another example, theextension guard field 529 can be disposed at the head of the recordingcluster 542 as in (b) in FIG. 81 ((K36) in FIG. 4).

In this case, as known by combining (b) in FIG. 81 and (a) in FIG. 71,the extension guard field 529 comes immediately before the VFO area 522,and therefore, the VFO area 522 can be taken to be sufficiently long atthe time of rewriting or recording. Therefore, PLL lead in timeconcerning the reference clock at the time of reproducing the data field525 can be taken to be long, and reproduction reliability of the datarecorded in the data field 525 can be enhanced. By adopting thestructure in which the recording cluster expressing the rewriting unitis constructed by one or more data segments ((K3α) in FIG. 4) like this,there arises the effect of being capable of easily performing mixturerecording processing of PC data (PC file) in which a small data amountis rewritten many times and AV data (AV file) in which a large amount ofdata is continuously recorded at one time.

Namely, as for the data used for a personal computer, a comparativelysmall amount of data is rewritten many times. Accordingly, if rewritableor recordable data unit is set to be as much as small, a recordingmethod suitable for PC data is provided. In the embodiment of thepresent invention, 32 physical sectors constitute the ECC block as shownin FIG. 34C. Therefore, the data segment unit which includes only oneECC block by which rewriting or recording is performed is the minimumunit by which rewriting or recording is performed with high efficiency.Accordingly, the structure in this embodiment in which one or more datasegments is included in the recording cluster expressing the rewritingunit or the recording unit is the recording structure suitable for thePC data (PC file).

In the AV (Audio Video) data, an extremely large amount of imageinformation and sound information need to be continuously recordedwithout being cut halfway. In this case, continuously recorded data isrecorded collectively as one recording cluster. At the time of recordingAV data, random shift amount, the structure in the data segment, theattribute of the data segment and the like are switched for each datasegment constructing one recording cluster, time for switchingprocessing is taken, and continuous recording processing becomesdifficult. In this embodiment, it is made possible to construct therecording cluster by continuously arranging the data segments of thesame type (the attribute and the random shift amount are not changed,without interposing specific information between the data segments) asshown in FIG. 81. Therefore, not only the record format suitable for AVdata recording for recording a large amount of data continuously canprovided, but also the structure in the recording cluster is simplified,simplification of the recording control circuit and reproductiondetection circuit is achieved, and reduction in price of the informationrecording and reproducing apparatus or the information reproducingapparatus is made possible.

The data structure in which the data segments continuously aligned inthe recording cluster 540 shown in FIG. 81 (except for the extendedguard field 528) has quite the same structure as the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium shown in (b) in FIG. 64 and the recordableinformation storage medium shown in (c) in FIG. 64. All the informationstorage media have the common data structures irrespective of thereproduction-only type/recordable type/rewritable type like this,compatibility of the media is secured, a detection circuit of theinformation recording and reproducing apparatus or the informationreproducing apparatus in which compatibility is secured can be shared.Thus, high reproducing reliability can be secured and reduction in costcan be realized.

By taking the structure in FIG. 81, the random shift amounts of all thedata segments inevitably agree in the same recording cluster ((K3β) inFIG. 4). As will be described later, recording cluster is recorded byperforming random shift in the rewritable information storage medium. Inthis embodiment, the random shift amounts of all the data segments agreein the same recording cluster 540. Therefore, when reproduction isperformed across different data segments in the same recording cluster540, synchronization (resetting of phase) in the VFO area (522 in FIG.71) becomes unnecessary, and it becomes possible to simplify thereproduction detection circuit and secure high reliability inreproduction detection at the time of continuous reproduction.

A rewritable data recording method for recording in the rewritableinformation storage medium is shown in FIG. 82. The layout in therecording cluster in the rewritable information storage medium of thisembodiment will be explained by using an example taking the layout in(a) in FIG. 81. However, in this embodiment, without being limited tothis, the layout shown in (b) in FIG. 81 may be adopted in therewritable information storage medium. (a) in FIG. 82 shows the samecontent as the aforementioned (d) in FIG. 64.

In this embodiment, rewriting concerning the rewritable data isperformed in the unit of the recording clusters 540 and 541 shown in (b)and (e) in FIG. 82. One recording cluster is constructed by one or morethe data segments 529 to 531, and the extended guard field 528 which isdisposed at the end. Namely, the start position of one recording cluster541 corresponds to the start position of the data segment 531, andstarts from the VFO area 522. When a plurality of data segments 529 and530 are continuously recorded, a plurality of data segments 529 and 530are continuously disposed in the same recording cluster 540, and thebuffer area 547 which exists at the end of the data segment 529 and theVFO area 532 which exits at the head of the next data segment arecontinuously connected, as shown in (b) and (c) in FIG. 82. Therefore,the phases of both of them (of recording reference clock at the time ofrecording) agree to each other.

When the continuous recording is finished, the extended guard area 528is disposed at the end position of the recording cluster 540. The datasize of this extension guard area 528 has the size of 24 data bytes asthe data before modulation.

As known from the correspondence of (a) in FIG. 82 and (c) in FIG. 82,the postample areas 546 and 536, the extra areas 544 and 534, the bufferareas 547 and 537, the VFO areas 532 and 522, and the pre-sync areas 533and 523 are included in the guard areas 461 and 462 of the rewritabletype, and the extended guard field 528 is disposed only in thecontinuous record finishing place.

For comparison of the physical range of the rewritable unit, (c) in FIG.82 shows a part of the recording cluster 540 which is the rewritableunit of the information, and (d) in FIG. 82 shows a part of therecording cluster 541 which is the unit to be rewritten next. Thecharacteristic of the present invention lies in that rewrite isperformed so that the extended guard area 528 and the VFO area 522 atthe rear side partially overlap each other in the rewriting timeoverlapping spots 541 ((K3) in FIG. 4). Rewrite is performed bypartially overlapping as described above, and thereby, a gap (area whererecord mark is not formed) between the recording clusters 540 and 541 isprevented from occurring. As a result, stable reproduction signal can bedetected by removing the interlayer crosstalk in a recordableinformation storage medium of one side surface with two recordinglayers.

As is known from (a) in FIG. 71, rewritable data size in one datasegment in the embodiment of the present invention is expressed by thefollowing expression (2).67+4+77376+2+4+16=77469 data bytes  (2)

As is known from (c) and (d) in FIG. 71, one wobble data unit 560 isexpressed by the following expression (3).6+4+6+68=84 wobbles  (3)

17 wobble data units constitute one physical segment 550, and the lengthof seven physical segments 550 to 556 corresponds to the length of onedata segment 531. Therefore, the following (4) is disposed in the lengthof one data segment 531.84×17×7=9996 wobbles  (4)

Accordingly, the following expression (5) corresponds to one wobble fromthe expression (2) and the expression (4).77496÷9996=7.75 data bytes/wobbles  (5)

As shown in FIG. 83, the overlapping portions of the next VFO area 522and the extended guard field 528 after 24 wobbles from the head positionof the physical segment. As is known from (d) in FIG. 71, the portionfrom the head of the physical segment 550 up to 16 wobbles is in thewobble sync area 580, and 68 wobbles thereinafter is the non-modulationarea 590. Accordingly, the portion where the next VFO area 522 and theextended guard field 528 overlap each other after 24 wobbles is in thenon-modulation area 590. By making the head position of the data segmentcome after 24 wobbles from the head position of the physical segment((K5) in FIG. 4), not only the overlapping spot is in the non-modulationarea 590, but also detection time of the wobble sync area 580 and thepreparation time of the recording processing can be taken appropriately.Therefore, stable and highly accurate recording processing can beensured.

The recording film of the rewritable information storage medium in thisembodiment uses a phase change recording film. Since deterioration ofthe recording film starts in the vicinity of rewrite starting/finishingposition in the phase change recording film, and therefore, if recordstart/record finish is repeated at the same position, the limitation ofthe number of rewrites due to deterioration of the recording filmoccurs. In order to reduce the above described problem, at the time ofrewrite, as shown in FIG. 83, the record starting position is shifted byJm+1/12 data bytes, and the record starting position is shifted atrandom in the embodiment of the present invention.

In (c) and (d) in FIG. 82, the head position of the extended guard field528 and the head position of the VFO area 522 correspond to each otherto explain the basic concept. However, strictly speaking, the headposition of the VFO area 522 is shifted at random as in FIG. 83 in theembodiment of the present invention.

In the DVD-RAN disc which is a current rewritable information storagemedium, the phase change recording film is used as a recording film, andthe record start/finish position is shifted at random to increase thenumber of rewrites. The maximum shift amount range when random shift ismade in the current DVD-RAM disc is set at 8 data bytes. The channel bitlength in the current DVD-RAM disc (as the data after modulation to berecorded in the disc) is set at 0.143 μm on average.

In the rewritable information storage medium example of this embodiment,the average length of channel bit is expressed by expression (6) fromFIG. 20.(0.087+0.093)÷2=0.090 μm  (6)When the length in the physical shift range is conformed to the currentDVD-RAM disc, the minimum required length as the random shift range inthe embodiment of the present invention is expressed by expression (7)by utilizing the above described value.8 bytes×(0.143 μm÷0.090 μm)=12.7 bytes  (7)

In order to secure easiness of the reproduction signal detectionprocessing, unit of the random shift amount is conformed to the “channelbit” after modulation in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the ETMmodulation (Eight to Twelve modulation), which converts 8 bits into 12bits, is used for modulation, and therefore, as the mathematicalexpression for expressing the random shift amount, the random shiftamount is expressed by expression (8) with the data byte as thereference.Jm/12 data bytes  (8)

As the value which Jm can take, Jm is from 0 to 152 from expression (9)using the value of the expression (7).12.7×12=152.4  (9)

From the above reason, as long as the range satisfies the expression(9), the length of the range of the random shift corresponds to thecurrent DVD-RAM disc, and the same number of rewrites as the currentDVD-RAM disc can be ensured.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to secure thenumber of rewrites more than the current DVD-RAM, a little margin isgiven to the value of the expression (7), and the length of the randomshift range is set as expression (10).

The length of the random shift range is 14 data bytes (10)

When the value of the expression (10) is substituted into the expression(8), 14×12=168, and therefore, the value which Jm can take is set as inexpression (11).The value which Jm can take is 0 to 167  (11)

As described above, the random shift amount is in the larger range thanJm/12 (0≦Jm≦154) ((K4) in FIG. 4), and thereby, the expression (9) issatisfied. At this time, the length of the physical range with respectto the random shift amount agrees to the current DVD-RAM, and therefore,there exists the effect of being capable of ensuring the same number oftimes of repetitive recording as the current DVD-RAM.

In FIG. 82, the length of the buffer area 547 and the VFO area 532 isconstant in the recording cluster 540. As is obvious from (a) in FIG.81, random shift amounts Jm in all the data segments 529 and 530 havethe same value everywhere in the same recording cluster 540.

When continuously recording one recording cluster 540 including a lot ofdata segments inside, the recording position is monitored from wobbles.Namely, the position detection of the wobble sync area 580 shown in FIG.71 is performed, and verification of the recording position on theinformation storage medium is performed at the same time as the numberof wobbles is counted in the non-modulation areas 590 and 591. At thistime, wobble slip (recording in the position shifted by one wobblecycle) occurs due to count error of wobbles or rotational variation of arotational motor (for example, Motor in FIG. 1) which rotates theinformation storage medium, and recording position on the informationstorage medium is deviated in some rare cases.

The information storage medium of the present invention has thecharacteristic in that when a recording position deviation which occursas described above is detected, adjustment is performed in the guardarea 461 of the rewritable type in FIG. 82 or in the guard area 452 ofthe recordable type shown in FIG. 64, and correction of the recordingtiming is performed ((K3) in FIG. 3). In FIG. 82, important informationwhich cannot allow bit omission and bit overlapping is recorded in thepostamble area 546, the extra area 544 and the pre-sync area 533, but aspecific pattern is repeated in the buffer area 547 and the VFO area532. Therefore, as long as the repetition border position is secured,omission and overlapping of only one pattern are allowed. Accordingly,in this embodiment, adjustment is performed especially in the bufferarea 547 and the VFO area 532 in the guard area 461, and correction ofrecording timing is performed.

As shown in FIG. 83, in this embodiment, the actual start point positionto be the reference of the position setting is set to correspond to theposition of the wobble amplitude of “0” (center of wobble). However,since wobble position detection accuracy is low, the actual start pointposition allows the following at the maximumthe deviation amount up to “±1 data byte”  (12)as described as “±1 max” in FIG. 83 in this embodiment.

In FIG. 82 and FIG. 83, the random shift amount in the data segment 530is set as Jm (the random shift amounts of all data segments 529 agree inthe recording clusters 540 as described above), and the random shiftamount of the data segment 531 written thereafter is set as Jm+1. As thevalues which Jm and Jm+1 shown in expression (11) can take, for example,a median value is taken with Jm=Jm+1=84, and when the position accuracyof the actual start point is sufficiently high, the start position ofthe extended guard field 528 and the start position of the VFO area 522agree to each other as shown in FIG. 82.

On the other hand, when the data segment 530 is recorded at the rearmostpossible position, and thereafter, the data segment 531 which can berecorded or rewritten is recorded at the foremost possible position, thehead position of the VFO area 522 sometimes enters the buffer area 537by 15 data bytes at the maximum from the value shown in the expression(10) and the value in the expression (12). Specific importantinformation is recorded in the extra area 534 immediately before thebuffer area 537.

Accordingly, in this embodiment, it is necessary to satisfy thefollowing (13).

The length of the buffer area 537 is 15 data bytes or more (13)

In the example shown in FIG. 82, a margin of one data byte is taken intoconsideration, and the data size of the buffer area 537 is set to be 16data bytes.

When a gap occurs between the extended guard area 528 and the VFO area522 as a result of random shift, interlayer crosstalk at the time ofreproduction due to the gap occurs when the structure of the one sidesurface with two recording layers is adopted. Therefore, the contrivanceis made so that even if random shift is performed, the extended guardfield 528 and a part of the VFO area 522 always overlap, and the gapdoes not occur ((K3) in FIG. 4). Accordingly, in this embodiment, thelength of the extended guard field 528 needs to be set at 15 data bytesor more from the same reason based on the expression (13).

The succeeding VFO area 522 is sufficiently taken to be as long as 71data bytes, and therefore, no problem occurs in signal reproduction evenif the overlapping area of the extended guard field 528 and the VFO area522 become large to some extent (because the time for synchronizing thereproducing reference clock is sufficiently secured in the VFO area 522which does not overlap)

Therefore, it is possible to set the extended guard field 528 at alarger value than 15 data bytes.

It is already described that in rare occasions, wobble slip occurs atthe continuous recording time, and the recording position of 1 wobblecycle is deviated. As shown in the expression (5), 1 wobble cyclecorresponds to 7.75 (#8) data bytes, and therefore, in this embodiment,considering the expression (13) and this value, setting is made as inexpression (14).The length of the extended guard field 528 is (15+8=) 23 data bytes ormore  (14)

In the example shown in FIG. 82, the margin of 1 data byte is added asthe buffer area 537, the length of the extended guard field 528 is setat 24 data bytes.

In (e) in FIG. 82, it is necessary to accurately set the record startingposition of the recording cluster 541. In the information recording andreproducing apparatus of this embodiment, this record starting positionis detected by using the wobble signal previously recorded in therewritable or recordable information storage medium.

As is known from (d) in FIG. 71, the pattern changes from NPW to IPW in4-wobble unit in all except for the wobble sync area 580. As comparedwith this, in the wobble sync area 580, the switching unit of wobbles ispartially shifted from 4 wobbles. Therefore, the position detection isthe most easily performed in the wobble sync area 580. Therefore, in theinformation recording and reproducing apparatus of this embodiment,after the position of the wobble sync area 580 is detected, preparationof recording processing is performed, and record is started.

Therefore, the start position of the recording cluster 541 needs to bein the non-modulation area 590 immediately after the wobble sync area580. The content is shown in FIG. 83. The wobble sync area 580 isdisposed immediately after the change of the physical segment. As shownin (d) in FIG. 71, the length of the wobble sync area 580 corresponds to16 wobble cycles. After detection of the wobble synch area 580, 8 wobblecycles are further necessary in expectation of a margin for preparationof recoding processing. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 83, it isnecessary to dispose the head position of the VFO area 522 existing atthe head position of the recording cluster 541 at the position 24wobbles or more back from the change position of the physical segment.

As shown in FIG. 82, recording processing is performed many times at theoverlapping spot 541 at the rewriting time. When rewrite is repeated,the physical shape of a wobble groove or a wobble land changes(deteriorates), and the quality of the wobble reproduction signal fromit is lowered. In the embodiment of the present invention, it iscontrived that the overlapping spots 541 are recorded in thenon-modulation area 590 by avoiding the overlapping spots 541 at thetime of rewrite or at the time of record coming into the wobble syncarea 580 and the wobble address area 586 ((3Kζ) in FIG. 4). In thenon-modulation area 590, the constant wobble pattern (NPW) is onlyrepeated, and even if the wobble reproduction signal quality ispartially deteriorated, it can be interpolated by utilizing the wobblereproduction signals before and after it. In this manner, the positionof the overlapping spot 541 at the time of rewrite or at the time ofrecord is set to come into the non-modulation area 590. Therefore,deterioration of the wobble reproduction signal quality due to the shapedeterioration of the wobble sync area 580 or the wobble address area 586is prevented, and the effect of being capable of ensuring a stablewobble detection signal from the wobble address information 610 isprovided.

Next, an example of recording method of recordable data which isrecorded on the recordable information storage medium is shown in FIG.84. In this embodiment, the method in (b) in FIG. 81 is adopted for thelayout in the recording cluster, but the layout is not limited to this,and (a) in FIG. 81 may be adopted. In the recordable information storagemedium, only one recording is performed, and therefore, the random shiftexplained above is not needed. In the recordable information storagemedium, the head position of the data segment is set to come to theposition 24 wobbles back from the head position of the physical segmentas shown in FIG. 83 ((K5) in FIG. 4), so that the overwriting place isin the non-modulation area of wobble.

As already explained in “recording mark polarity (identification of H→Lor L→H) information” at the 192nd byte in FIG. 28, use of both of “H→Lrecording film” and “L→H recording film” is allowed in this embodiment.The optical reflectivity ranges of the “H→L recording film” and “L→Hrecording film” specified in this embodiment are shown in FIG. 85. Thisembodiment has the characteristic in that the reflectivity lower limitvalue in the unrecorded part of the “H→L recording film” is specified tobe higher than the upper limit value in the unrecorded part of the “L-Hrecording film” ([M] in FIG. 4). When the above described informationstorage medium is attached to the information recording and reproducingapparatus or the information reproducing apparatus, the opticalreflectivity of the unrecorded part is measured by the slice leveldetection unit 132 or the PR equalizing circuit 130 in FIG. 5, anddetermination of whether it is the “H→L recording film” or the “L→Hrecording film” can be made instantly, thus extremely facilitatingdetermination of kinds of recording films.

As a result of measuring the “H→L recording film” and “L→H recordingfilm” made by changing many manufacturing conditions, it is found outthat manufacturability of the recording film is enhanced and reductionin cost of the media is facilitated if the optical reflectivity αbetween the reflectivity lower limit value at the unrecorded part of the“H→L recording film” and the upper limit value at the unrecorded part ofthe “L→H recording film” is set at 36% ((M1) in FIG. 4). Favorablecompatibility with the reproduction-only information storage medium isobtained when the optical reflectivity range 801 of the unrecorded part(“L” part) of the “L→H recording film” is conformed to the opticalreflectivity range 803 of the one side surface double recording layer inthe reproduction-only information storage medium ((M3) in FIG. 4), andthe optical reflectivity range 802 of the unrecorded part (“H” part) ofthe “H→L recording film” is conformed to the optical reflectivity range804 of the one side surface single layer in the reproduction-onlyinformation storage medium ((M2) in FIG. 4). As a result, thereproduction circuit of the information reproducing apparatus can beused in common, and therefore, the information reproducing apparatus canbe made at low cost.

As a result of measuring the “H→L recording film” and “L→H recordingfilm” made by changing many manufacturing conditions, the lower limitvalue β of the optical reflectivity of the unrecorded part (“L” part) ofthe “L→H recording film” is set at 18% and its upper limit value γ isset at 32%, and the lower limit value δ of the optical reflectivity ofthe unrecorded part (“H” part) of the “H→L recording film” is set at 40%and its upper limit value ε is set at 70% in this embodiment in order toenhance manufacturability of the recording film and facilitate reductionin cost of the medium.

In the above embodiment, the following effects can be provided.

With the management data structure applicable to “recordable informationstorage medium” which can record only once, the size of the extendabletest area and the size of the extendable spare area are optionallysettable. Therefore, the sizes of the extended test area and the sparearea can be set to the minimum necessary values. As a result, therecordable area size can be left as large as possible, and therefore,substantial capacity reduction can be stopped to a minimum.

The recordable range information is simultaneously recorded in therecord management information RMD which is necessary to be reproducedwithout fail before recording. Therefore, the information of therecordable range can be obtained at high speed as the informationrecording and reproducing apparatus, and thus the size (remainingamount) of the recordable area can be known. Accordingly, to record allimage information in the time range programmed to be recorded, forexample, the bit rate at the time of recording is controlled, whereby itis possible to ensure recording for a user.

Other Embodiments

The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the abovedescribed embodiment, but are extendable and changeable, and extendedand modified embodiments are included in the technical range of thepresent invention.

1. (canceled)
 2. An information storage medium comprising: a data areafor storing user data; and a data lead-in area for storing discinformation, wherein the data lead-in area includes a recordingmanagement zone (RMZ) including recording management data (RMD).